Jennifer Ackerman, author of "What an Owl Knows"

Jennifer Ackerman illuminates the rich biology and natural history of owls 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.

Jennifer's most recent book, What an Owl Knows: The new science of the world’s most enigmatic birds, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been described in reviews as “eloquent and engaging”, “revelatory,” a “fascinating read,” “a masterful survey,” and an “enchanting guide.”

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science, nature, and health for more than three decades. Her work aims to explain and interpret science for a lay audience and to explore the riddles of the natural world, blending scientific knowledge with strong storytelling. She has won numerous awards and fellowships, including a fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a Silver Medal Award for Nature Writing from the International Regional Magazine Association, and fellowships at the Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College (now the Radcliffe Institute), Brown College at the University of Virginia, and the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University.