Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Studies of anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together, they form the fowl clade which is scientifically known as Galloanserae (initially termed Galloanseri). This clade is also supported by morphological and DNA sequence data as well as retrotransposon presence/absence data.

As opposed to "fowl", "poultry" is a term for any kind of domesticated bird or bird captive-raised for meat, eggs, or feathers; ostriches, for example, are sometimes kept as poultry, but are neither gamefowl nor waterfowl. In colloquial speech, however, the term "fowl" is often used near-synonymously with "poultry" or even "bird", and many languages do not distinguish between "poultry" and "fowl". Nonetheless, the fact that Galliformes and Anseriformes most likely form a monophyletic group makes a distinction between "fowl" and "poultry" warranted.

Eoin Colfer ( /ˈoʊ.ɨn/ OH-in; born 14 May 1965) is an Irish author. He is most famous as the author of the Artemis Fowl series, but he has also written other successful books. His novels have been compared to the works of J. K. Rowling. In September 2008, Colfer was commissioned to write the sixth instalment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, entitled And Another Thing....

Eoin Colfer was born in Wexford, Ireland. He attained worldwide notice in 2001, when his first Artemis Fowl book was published. He then became a New York Times best-selling author of books for children and teens, known for writing the Artemis Fowl series (which consists so far of 7 books that were all New York Times best sellers), Half Moon Investigations, The Wish List, and The Supernaturalist, along with the Eoin Colfer’s The Legend of... books. In January 2008, Colfer published a book titled Airman, which was also a New York Times best-seller. To date the majority of his works have reached the New York Times Bestseller list at least once. Colfer currently resides in Wexford, Ireland with his wife, Jackie, and two children, Séan and Finn.