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 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.

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.

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.

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.

A more hardheaded assessment of owls, as well as of owl worship.

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.

...an accessible, highly readable tour of these discoveries.

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..

[A] masterful survey.