Ackerman is a warm and companionable guide, so enthusiastic about her subject that I suspect even the avian-indifferent will be charmed by her encounters with owls and the dedicated people who study them. Each species seems like a marvel, but certain owls are so special that her book is peppered with superlatives ... The photos in Ackerman’s book are fascinating.
The many, many fans of Jennifer Ackerman’s 2016 bestseller The Genius of Birds were likely bird-people, if not actual birders then certainly bird-curious, and those readers might have dreamed that this author would some day turn her attention specifically to one of the most charismatic of all birds, the owl. Those readers, and all the many thousands of others who’ve always been fascinated by these birds, will rejoice at the appearance of Ackerman’s new book ... on this ‘did you know’ level, Ackerman’s book is predictable, although every bit as glowingly readable as everything else she’s written ... Owls endlessly fascinate humans; owls can befriend humans; owls certainly need the conservation help of humans. They can look us straight in the eyes, and they very much warrant a book as thoughtful and engrossing as this one, another great bird-book from Ackerman.
Ackerman, a frequent contributor to National Geographic and the Smithsonian, is an intrepid reporter, hacking her way through dense undergrowth in Montana to find northern pygmy owls or getting covered in red dirt setting traps for burrowing owls in southern Brazil ... At night, where I live in Herefordshire, we often hear a barn owl hooting in a stand of pine trees behind the house. It’s an eerie, mysterious sound that never fails to enchant. And it is this enchantment that is at the core of this charming, deeply researched book.
Across nine chapters – each devoted to an aspect of their lives and encompassing everything from ancient folklore to the latest scientific developments – she makes a strong case that these enigmatic and often misunderstood birds are worthy of close attention. While her straightforward style enables easy comprehension for the science-phobic, there is lyricism too ... her sense of wonder runs through the book, staving off dryness ... Ackerman doesn’t shy away from addressing the intensifying conservation struggles caused by climate change – many owl populations are dwindling and some face extinction. Indeed, with the bulk of this content saved until the end, her ultimate message becomes more urgent. 'Owls are disappearing every day … What should we do? Everything in our power.'
Ackerman's highly readable science of owls is made all the more interesting by her decision to dive into the backgrounds of the scientists who study them ... this book provides a fascinating glimpse into how dedicated researchers have deployed new technology and approaches to discover how owls fulfill their distinctive roles as nocturnal predators. Although written for non experts, this book will be of interest to scientists from a broad array of disciplines, from neurobiology to general ecology.
A more hardheaded assessment of owls, as well as of owl worship ... Ultimately, Ackerman concludes that owls do not warrant their storied eminence as recondite knowledge keepers.
Ackerman’s latest vivid and compelling narrative is enlivened by her own passion for owls and her excitement over discoveries in the wild that show that, for humans, owls continue to be full of surprises.
Wide-ranging and wonderful ... She explores this question with her trademark thoroughness and care, leading readers on an in-depth tour through the extraordinary world of owls ... Excellent.
...an accessible, highly readable tour of these discoveries ... There’s an urgency to the studies Ackerman details matched only by the pleasure the researchers take from their contact with these charismatic birds.
This book, like Ackerman’s others, is well written and researched, and the author offers sound advice from experts regarding what individuals can do to help save owls. Fascinating food for thought for owl seekers and sure to please any lover of immersive treks into the lives of birds.
