Owls have been symbols of wisdom, knowledge, and insight for centuries. The nature and habits of owls, as well as various cultural and historical views are topics tackled in this informative non-fiction book. It has been difficult to study and research owls, as owls are often unpredictable, hard to spot due to blending in so well with their environment, and out-and-about at night when it’s dark. However, researchers are using progressive technology, as well as tools and tactics like training dogs to track the scent of owls in effort to learn and understand their brains and behaviors.

I learned some fun facts by reading this book like Bubo is the Latin name for the Eurasian eagle owl and I realized and made the connection that Bubo is the name of the beloved mechanical owl character in the mythological film, Clash of the Titans.  In addition, owls make close to zero noise when in flight, which is rare, since with the majority of birds, the flapping of their wings are very audible.  Jennifer Ackerman has written a very interesting and informative book on owls.  I checked this book out from our local library at no cost and I am appropriately more knowledgeable after reading What an Owl Knows.