Jennifer Ackerman is an acclaimed American author known for her engaging works on ornithology. She gained widespread recognition for her bestselling book, The Genius of Birds, where she challenges the common metaphor of "bird brained" by showcasing the intelligence and complex thinking abilities of birds. The book was hailed as a "peppy survey of the science of bird intelligence" by The Guardian and became a New York Times best seller in 2017.

Continuing her exploration of avian intelligence, Ackerman published The Bird Way in 2020, which combines personal observations and a literature review of the latest bird research to discuss various aspects of bird life. She also narrated the audiobook versions of both her acclaimed works.

Over her illustrious career, Ackerman has authored eight books that have been translated into more than 20 languages. She is also a contributing writer for renowned publications such as Scientific American, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Ackerman spent nine years working for National Geographic, where she edited the popular book The Curious Naturalist. Following her tenure there, she turned to freelance writing, spending time in Lewes, Delaware, to research and write Notes From the Shore, later reissued as Birds By the Shore in 2019.

Her earlier works cover a variety of health topics, including The Strong Women's Guide to Total Health and Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream, which uses the framework of a single day to explore the myriad processes occurring within the human body.

Ackerman's writings have appeared in several anthologies, including Best American Science Writing, The Nature Reader, and Best Nature Writing. Her contributions to literature have earned her a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.