What the Chicken Knows - by Sy Montgomery (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery ... has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard. Each chicken has an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connects with Sy in her own way. In this short ... book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures: only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least twenty-four distinct calls"--

Book Synopsis

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens from Sy Montgomery, "one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world" (The New York Times).

For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery--whose The Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist--has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard. Each chicken has an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connects with Sy in her own way.

In this short, delightful book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures: only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least twenty-four distinct calls. Visitors to her home are astonished by all this, but for Sy what's more astonishing is how little most people know about chickens, especially considering there are about twenty percent more chickens on earth than people.

With a winning combination of personal narrative and science, What the Chicken Knows is exactly the kind of book that has made Sy Montgomery such a beloved and popular author.

Review Quotes

Praise for What the Chicken Knows

"Ms. Montgomery, a naturalist whose books include The Soul of an Octopus (2015), spins a soothing tapestry of home life with free-roaming hens... This little book should be required reading." --Wall Street Journal

"If you've never given the humble backyard bird much thought, try this short and sweet exploration that starts with the author's own personality-filled flock. You'll never look at the country's most familiar fowl the same way again." --People Magazine

"Sy Montgomery speaks, and understands, 'chicken' well. For that, we are grateful. . . . Her observations will make the reader smile and, perhaps, provoke an appreciation of an often overlooked fowl." --The Colorado Sun

"Montgomery's language here is gorgeous, making her emotions palpable. Such affectionate interpretations of bird behavior are a pleasure to read." --Boston Globe

"[Montgomery] offers insight into the animal kingdom and how wildlife, domesticated birds, and humans fit together. The book will make readers look at chickens and their relationship with humans in a new way." --The Epoch Times

"This paean to chickens--their sometimes quirky personalities, their ability to form relationships and recognize people, and their physical beauty (photographs of some gorgeous birds are included here)--is not only informative and fascinating. Because of Montgomery's direct writing style and personal anecdotes, it's also extremely touching." --Book Reporter

?"Montgomery reframes the assumptions that many laypeople carry about chickens, debunking stereotypes about their lack of intelligence with support from specific scientific studies and stories from her own experiences with her 'Ladies, ' as she affectionately refers to her flock of hens." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] warm, intimate view of chickens . . . Montgomery's account of her limitless devotion for her feathered friends is contagious, and its nifty 5x7 trim size makes it an ideal gift." --Shelf Awareness

"Spellbinding and informative. . . seamlessly covering natural history and up-to-date science. Montgomery's not-to-be-missed chicken chronicle is enlightening and enlivening." --Booklist

"Montgomery's expertise as a naturalist and fluid writing style combine for an engaging and eye-opening read." --Library Journal

"Delightful." --Buzz Magazines

"A charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens." --The Strand

"Fun and informative. . . . Three clucks to Sy Montgomery." --The Associated Press

"Sy Montgomery is a master of interest. . . . [What the Chicken Knows is] a thoroughly charming appreciation of 'the world's most familiar bird, ' as warm as it is enlightening." --Lit Hub (Noteworthy Book of 2024)

Praise for The Hawk's Way

"If you're a bird-lover--or otherwise revel in nature--you'll appreciate Montgomery's latest... It's an informative read that will make you want to go outside and look up into the sky." --Washington Post

"To anyone curious about the allure of falconry, [The Hawk's Way] is a good place to start." --The Wall Street Journal

"Radiant...Collapsing the distance between birds and people, this concise and charming book feels custom-made for readers of Helen Macdonald's H Is for Hawk." --Shelf Awareness

Praise for The Hummingbirds' GIft

"Montgomery's bright, richly illustrated chronicle stirs renewed appreciation for human empathy, skill, and wonder and a miraculous winged species." --Booklist

"A hummingbird book that's like them--zippy and fun...[It] will warm your heart while making you into an armchair ornithologist." --Associated Press

"This slim book, centered on two abandoned hummingbirds who are nurtured back to health, is ideal for garden reading." --Washington Post

Praise for Sy Montgomery

"[Sy Montgomery is] one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world." --The New York Times

About the Author

Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, adventurer, and author of more than thirty acclaimed books of nonfiction for adults and children, including The Hummingbirds' Gift, The Hawk's Way, the National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus, and most recently, Of Time and Turtles, which was a New York Times bestseller. The recipient of numerous honors, including lifetime achievement awards from the Humane Society and the New England Booksellers Association, she lives in New Hampshire with her husband, writer Howard Mansfield, and a border collie.