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What an Owl Knows
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds | Jennifer Ackerman
13 posts | 10 read | 34 to read
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, a brilliant scientific investigation into owlsthe most elusive of birdsand why they exert such a hold on human imagination For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than thirty thousand years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls? Though our fascination goes back centuries, scientists have only recently begun to understand in deep detail the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. Some two hundred sixty species of owls exist today, and they reside on every continent except Antarctica, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active in the dark of night. Jennifer Ackerman illuminates the rich biology and natural history of these birds and reveals remarkable new scientific discoveries about their brains and behavior. She joins scientists in the field and explores how researchers are using modern technology and tools to learn how owls communicate, hunt, court, mate, raise their young, and move about from season to season. We now know that the hoots, squawks, and chitters of owls follow sophisticated and complex rules, allowing them to express not just their needs and desires but their individuality and identity. Owls duet. They migrate. They hoard their prey. Some live in underground burrows; some roost in large groups; some dine on black widows and scorpions. Ackerman brings this research alive with her own personal field observations about owls and dives deep into why these birds beguile us. What an Owl Knows is an awe-inspiring exploration of owls across the globe and through human history, and a spellbinding account of their astonishing hunting skills, communication, and sensory prowess. By providing extraordinary new insights into the science of owls, What an Owl Knows pulls back the curtain on the nature of the worlds most enigmatic group of birds.
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keithmalek
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I am so saddened by this.😭😭😭

Patchshank Yeah that sucks. Poor thing 😭 9mo
7 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
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#unpopularopinion I found the first couple hours dry & just can‘t get into it, which runs contrary to every single review I‘ve seen about this, & the fact that I‘ve loved all the other recs I‘ve tried from @Chelsea.Poole #auldlangspine list, so I think it may be more my frame of mind right now & the current mix of books I‘m reading, than just my reaction to this. I‘m going to keep it in mind to try again sometime in print instead of on audio.

Soubhiville I wasn‘t as absorbed in this one as I had been in her others that I have read, so it may not be just you. I found this one wasn‘t as compelling. I still picked it, because I did enjoy parts and learned. 9mo
IndoorDame @Soubhiville good to know, thanks 🙏💕 9mo
Chelsea.Poole I can see that! And I will say, the second half has stuck with me more than the first, especially the section about human impact on owl and conservation work. 9mo
52 likes3 comments
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

I‘ve enjoyed several other of Ackerman‘s books about birds, so I was excited to see that she had a new one focused on owls.

The coolest thing I learned: to defend their nests or scare away threats an owl might dive bomb, and they can hit with many many times greater force than their body weight.

We need to do more to conserve these birds. Like most wildlife we‘ve destroyed so much of their habitat, many of them are in danger.

Soubhiville Also, all of the owls who portrayed Hedwig in the HP movies were male, because the male snowy owls are brighter white and less aggressive in general than the females. 🦉 10mo
Crazeedi I just purchased this book , and read a short book that had one of the chapters from this book about hummingbirds, fascinating. And I have this book on my tbr!! 10mo
Yenya1954 I will add this to my TBR list! 10mo
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CoffeeNBooks
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Florida has decided to take a break from "winter," and it's a beautiful day to sit outside and read!
???

kspenmoll So happy for you! 10mo
TheBookHippie Yay! 10mo
Yuki_Onna Owls are just the cutest birds ever! 🦉❣️ 10mo
See All 6 Comments
LiseWorks Oh you lucky girl. 10mo
RamsFan1963 Excellent choice. My favorite non-fiction book of 2023 10mo
CoffeeNBooks @RamsFan1963 I think your post about it in December is what made me put it on my list to read! 😁 10mo
70 likes6 comments
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CoveredInRust
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Another year, another start to library book club. This is our January pick!

RamsFan1963 Excellent choice!! My favorite book of 2023 10mo
CoveredInRust @RamsFan1963 Awesome! It sounds so good! Our group has really enjoyed all of the animal deep dive nonfics we've read. 10mo
SamAnne I got this for Christmas! Really looking forward to the read. 10mo
CoveredInRust @SamAnne I hope we both enjoy it! 10mo
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RamsFan1963
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August's pick for #12Booksof2023 is also my pick for the best book of 2023. I already loved owls before reading this, but afterward I was just in awe of what amazing creatures they are, and how much I didn't know about them.
#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

Andrew65 I need to get hold of this, we have an owl and it‘s baby that regularly calls out around us at night. Nothing beats that sound. 11mo
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Floresj
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Pickpick

If you are mildly interested or adore owls, this book is wonderful. A lot of interesting topics are presented: how different species hunt, roost, mate, hoot, migrate, take care of their young, and hear. Good anecdotes about researchers that show their love for their work and owls. Good read for my 100th book of the year!

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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

An thorough study of the amazing creatures we know as owls. Ackerman covers all the typical information in animal studies: what they eat, mating, owlets, habitats, and the many owl species. But beyond this the book includes how humans (now and in the past) interact with and view owls. From viscous birds of prey to the “wise” owl idea, these creatures have fascinated us for millennia! I‘m off to buy an owl house and create a habitat! Loved it!

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

From their silence to their extraordinary hearing and some owlets hooting inside their eggs, this is a super interesting read about owls that also looks at the human response to them around the world. It flows well and kept me engaged throughout, though my person favorite part was about their sounds.

SamAnne I love to see owls! 14mo
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RamsFan1963
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1. I only had one 5 🌟 read for August, and it was the Tagged book.
2. It was extremely informative, and only increased my love for owls.

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 1y
50 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

81/150 What a fascinating book!! I'm definitely putting this on my list of the best books of 2023. Owls are such amazing creatures, if you don't love them now (and who doesnt?), you will after you finish this detailed look into the lives, eating, breeding and mating habits of these beautiful birds. I think this is the best book on nature I've read since Ed Yong's An Immense World, which is high praise indeed.
5 🌟 read

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
AllDebooks Sounds like a perfect fit for #NaturaLitsy 1y
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 1y
PaperbackPirate We have had a great horned owl visiting our backyard for the past month - so cool! Thank you for the recommendation! 🦉 1y
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RamsFan1963
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I've listened to 65% of this audiobook, and I highly recommend it. Even if you have no interest in owls (who doesn't like owls?), it is an endlessly fascinating book about nature and man's interaction and study of it. This will definitely be on my Top 10 list at the end of the year, probably in the top 5.
#SundayFunday @ozma.of.oz

BookmarkTavern Oh that sounds lovely! Thanks for answering! 1y
kelli7990 This sounds interesting. 1y
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Megabooks
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Owls are truly fascinating and surprisingly diverse creatures. Ackerman looks at the latest research and talks to scientists and conservation specialists around the world from a musician who can tell owl hoots from different individuals apart to people who have turned a former chemical weapons depot into an owl conservation habitat.

DGRachel I love owls. You‘re killing my audiobook TBR!! 1y
jlhammar I‘m really looking forward to this one. I loved 1y
Cinfhen Owls are really fascinating creatures! Really majestic 🦉We once had a Great Horned Owl hang out by our pool. He was sunning himself on the pool ladder and we were watching from our patio door. It was MASSIVE!!! But a little frightening- and when it flew away his wings were like Batman. Such a vivid memory! 1y
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