“What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird” is written by one of the world’s most famous writers of essays and books about animals. Sy Montgomery has written about hummingbirds, hawks, octopuses, pigs, moon bears, dolphins, tigers and more. She’s also written about Temple Grandin. Montgomery knows animals, and through her writing, we understand that she holds animals in high esteem. Her newest little book is about chickens; she raised them for decades.

During her many years with chickens in her family (yes, she considers her animals part of her family), Montgomery observed them, learned about them, and delighted in their antics. In this small book, really almost a long essay, we learn a lot about chickens. But beware! What you learn about these intelliegent and affectionate creatures may make you want to change your diet. You might never think about “chicken” in quite the same way. And if that happens? I’m sure Sy Montgomery would be delighted.

People think of chickens as being dumb creatures, literally so dumb that they will keep running around if you cut their head off. But when perceptions and, I dare say, preconceptions, cloud even the minds of scientists, it’s difficult to get an accurate read on animals. In 2023, Montgomery shared that a study found that roosters recognize their own reflections. The reason that this is important is because it’s been held to be a sign of self-awareness and intelligence. What it took was a researcher clever enough to devise a study that was biologically relevant, one that mimicked rooster behavior in daily life.

We learn about rooster rescues. Why do roosters need to be rescued? Because often, when they reach maturity, they can become aggressive. I didn’t realize that until I actually googled rooster spurs, but those large, very sharp, hooked talons can be very dangerous. They can draw blood from the unsuspecting. And speaking of blood, we learn what happens when chickens see blood on other chickens or even themselves. I’m not sharing that here; read the book to find out that very interesting (and a bit gory) tidbit.

A lot of the book is about Montgomery’s own chickens, and through her eyes and her experiences with her chickens, we learn about how relationships are important to them. We also learn bits about chicken language and how they communicate, and it’s fascinating. And we learn about the downside of having a flock of chickens. Trying to protect them from the myriad predators all around in the wild (and even some domesticated predators like dogs) is often a fruitless task unless the chickens are kept in a small area reinforced with wire. And then, the chickens aren’t free to spread their wings and search for food in the grass and bushes. And if, by chance, a predator does get through the defenses, the chickens have nowhere to flee to. What was supposed to protect them becomes a death sentence for them.

This paean to chickens, their sometimes quirky personalities, their ability to form relationships and recognize people, and their physical beauty (she includes photographs of some gorgeous birds), is not only informative and fascinating, but because of Montgomery’s direct writing style and personal anecdotes, it’s extremely touching.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.