Wise words on What an Owl Knows

Science and nature writer Jennifer Ackerman sets out to enlighten us in her new book What an Owl Knows - the new science of the world's most enigmatic birds.

For centuries, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Their forward gaze and nearly silent flight has cemented the owl as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, foresight and intuition.

Scientists have only recently begun to study these birds in great detail.

While more than 270 species exist today, they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because while not only cryptic and perfectly camouflaged, owls are most active in the dark of night.

And you think an owl is an owl is an owl? Ackermann says we should think again.

"Owls vary dramatically from species to species and even from individual to individual within a species," she writes.

"Owls have truths to tell us, from afar - from their perches and nests deep in old-growth forests, deserts, the Arctic - and from up close, in the hands of vets, rehabbers, researchers and educators. We would be wise to listen."

Ackerman unpacks the mysteries of these birds, investigates what it's like to be an owl and some of their ingenious adaptations, takes a look at owl talk, courting and breeding, roosting and migrating.

She also looks at owls and the human imagination and what we can learn from captive birds.

How wise are owls? A fascinating chapter is devoted to this question.

Ackerman presents a spellbinding journey across the globe and through human history, and offers a colourful account of the hunting skills, communication and sensory prowess that distinguishes the owl from nearly all other birds.

What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman (Scribe) RRP $35.

Jennifer Ackerman is also author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way.