Sienna Rhodes
Owls are well-known for their distinctive hooting calls, but did you know that juvenile owls, or fledglings, sound different from adults? While adult owls typically hoot, juvenile owls of many species are known to use screeching calls to beg for food from their parents. For example, Great Horned Owl chicks will screech for food, but as they mature, they transition to hooting. Young owls may also produce piercing screams, while adults of the same species make a variety of other sounds, including whistles, barks, shrieks, hisses, coos, and wavering cries. So, the next time you hear an owl, listen carefully, as you might be able to determine whether it's an adult or a juvenile based on its call!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Juvenile owl calls | Juvenile owls give piercing screams when begging for food. |
| Adult owl calls | Adults make an array of sounds, including hoots, whistles, barks, shrieks, hisses, coos, and wavering cries. |
| Differences in owl calls based on gender | The female's voice is recognizably higher in pitch than the male's. |
| Owl calls based on species | Each species of owl has its own unique call. For example, the Barred Owl is commonly described as sounding like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?". The Snowy Owl, on the other hand, has deep, hoarse hoots. |
| Owl calls during courtship | During courtship, mated pairs perform a duet of cackles, hoots, caws, and gurgles. |
| Owl calls for territorial claims | Owls may use specific calls to claim and defend their territories. For example, the Northern Saw-whet Owl announces its presence with a repetitive "toot-toot-toot-toot." |
| Owl calls during different seasons | Owls have quieter and noisier seasons. They are generally quieter during non-breeding times and noisier during the breeding season. |
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What You'll Learn
Owl calls are unique to each species
There is more to owl sounds than just "hoo, hoo". Each species of owl has its own unique call, sometimes more than one. Owls call for many of the same reasons other birds do: to claim and defend territories, to attract mates, and to keep in contact with each other. Being able to identify calls is particularly important when it comes to owls because their nocturnal habits mean they can be much easier to hear than to see.
For example, the distinctive hooting call of the Barred Owl, found in the eastern US and parts of the Pacific Northwest and Canada, is often described as "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?". During courtship, mated pairs perform a duet of cackles, hoots, caws, and gurgles. The Barn Owl, on the other hand, communicates with high-pitched screams, either a k-r-r-r-r-ick to identify itself to others of its species or a longer, more forceful shriek to signal distress or a warning.
The smallest owl species, the Elf Owl, has a "chatter song" consisting of a fast series of five to seven high-pitched notes that resemble the yipping of a small dog. The Northern Saw-whet Owl gets its name from one of its calls, which sounds like the repetitive "toot-toot-toot-toot" of a saw being sharpened on a whetstone.
Great Horned Owls advertise their territories with deep, soft hoots with a stuttering rhythm: "hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo". The male and female of a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female's voice being higher in pitch than the male's. Young owls give piercing screams when begging for food, while adults may scream to defend the nest.
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Young owls have different calls to adults
Young owls, or chicks, have different calls to adults. While adult owls are known for their distinctive hooting, young owls are more likely to screech or scream. For example, Great Horned Owl chicks will screech for food from their parents. As they mature, they will develop the typical hooting call of the species.
Young owls give piercing screams when begging for food, while adults may scream to defend the nest. The pitch of an owl's call also varies with sex, with females producing higher-pitched calls than males. This is true of both young and adult owls.
Owls have a wide range of vocalizations beyond hooting, including beak snapping, hissing, whistling, barking, shrieking, cooing, and wavering cries. Some owls, like the Burrowing Owl, can even mimic the sound of a rattlesnake.
The specific calls of owls can vary greatly in rhythm, accents, and length, and each species of owl has its own unique call, or sometimes more than one. Owls use these vocalizations for various purposes, such as claiming and defending territories, attracting mates, and communicating with each other.
Identifying owl calls is particularly important for birdwatchers, as owls are often easier to hear than they are to see due to their nocturnal habits.
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Owls have different calls for different situations
Owls are fascinating predators of the night, and their calls are just as captivating as their appearance. Each species of owl has its own unique call, or sometimes even multiple calls, that they use to communicate in different situations. From claiming territories to finding mates, owls have a wide vocabulary of sounds that they use to express themselves.
For example, the Great Horned Owl uses deep, soft hoots with a stuttering rhythm to advertise its territory. During courtship, a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female's voice at a higher pitch than the male's. Young owls of this species give piercing screams when begging for food, while adults may scream to defend their nests.
The Barn Owl, on the other hand, relies on high-pitched screams to communicate. They use a forceful shriek to signal distress or warn others of potential threats. The Eastern Screech-Owl, as its name suggests, has a descending whinny capped off with a trill. Meanwhile, its Western counterpart produces a series of hoots that speed up toward the end, like a bouncing ball.
The charming Burrowing Owl, found along the southern border of the United States and Mexico, has a simple and gentle main call: "coo-coooo, coo-coooo," with a little wheeze at the end. This species will sometimes mimic rattlesnakes to keep predators away from their burrows.
Owls have a wide range of calls that they use to express themselves in various situations. Their calls are an important form of communication, helping them to navigate courtship, territorial claims, and warnings. So, the next time you hear an owl's call in the night, try to decipher what this hooter is trying to say!
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Owls make sounds other than hooting
While hooting is a common owl sound, owls make a variety of other noises. Each species of owl has its own unique call, and some owls have more than one. Owls vocalise for many of the same reasons as other birds, such as claiming and defending territories, attracting mates, and keeping in contact with each other.
The Barred Owl, for example, has a distinctive hooting call of 8–9 notes, often described as “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”. However, when a pair duet, this can devolve into a raucous jumble of cackles, hoots, caws, and gurgles. Barred Owls also snap their bills during squabbles.
The Great Horned Owl is another well-known hooter. However, these owls also scream, bark, growl, shriek, coo, and hiss, as well as producing wavering cries and beak snaps. The male and female of a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female's voice recognisably higher in pitch than the male's. Young Great Horned Owls give piercing screams when begging for food, while adults may scream to defend the nest.
The Eastern Screech-Owl commonly makes a series of quick toots that produce a descending trill, sounding like a high-pitched horse whinny. Its toots may also have a whistle-like one-pitch trill sound. The Western Screech-Owl, on the other hand, produces a one-pitch sound that gets faster and faster, like a bouncing ping pong ball.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl gets its name from one of its calls, a repetitive “toot-toot-toot-toot” that males use to announce their presence on their territory. This call reminded early ornithologists of the sound of a saw being sharpened on a whetstone.
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Owls have different pitches
Owls are well-known for their distinctive hooting calls, but these nocturnal predators have a wide range of vocalizations beyond hooting. Each species of owl has its own unique call, or sometimes more than one, and these calls differ in pitch, rhythm, and length. For example, the male and female of a breeding pair of Great Horned Owls perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female's voice recognizably higher in pitch than the male's deeper voice. Similarly, Eastern Screech-Owls also have different pitches, with males typically calling at a lower pitch than females.
Owls use their calls for various purposes, including claiming and defending territories, attracting mates, and maintaining contact with each other. During courtship, mated pairs of Barred Owls perform a duet of cackles, hoots, caws, and gurgles. Short-eared Owls also have different pitches, with males making a number of hoots during courtship, while females occasionally make chicken-like clucking calls.
In addition to hooting, owls also screech, toot, bark, hiss, coo, and snap their beaks. Young owls, or chicks, often use screeching calls to beg for food from their parents, while adults may scream to defend the nest. The Great Horned Owl, for instance, may make a variety of sounds, including whistles, barks, shrieks, hisses, coos, and wavering cries. They may also snap their bills in response to stressful conditions or disturbances, particularly when potential predators approach their young.
Some owls, like the Northern Saw-whet Owl, get their names from the unique sounds they make. The male Northern Saw-whet Owl uses a repetitive "toot-toot-toot-toot" call to announce its presence on its territory, resembling the sound of a saw being sharpened on a whetstone. The smallest owl in the world, the Elf Owl, has a "chatter song" consisting of a fast series of high-pitched notes that sound like the yipping of a small dog.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, juvenile owls do sound different from adult owls. While adult owls typically hoot, juvenile owls are known to use screeching calls to beg for food from their parents.
Yes, male and female owls can sound different. In most owl species, the male owl has a deeper voice, while the female's voice is higher in pitch.
Owls make a variety of sounds besides hooting, including screeching, tooting, whistling, barking, shrieking, hissing, cooing, and beak snapping.
Owls make different sounds for various reasons, including claiming and defending territories, attracting mates, and communicating with each other.
Yes, each owl species has its own unique call or set of calls. By learning the different owl calls, you can often identify the specific species that is vocalizing.
