Who's That Hooting?
Owls have very distinctive calls and once you’ve heard them once or twice, you’ll easily be able to identify any owls you hear at night. When a barred owl like Bart is talking, it sounds something like ‘HOO-HOO-HA-HOO, HOO-HOO-HA-HOOO-ALL’ to a human. Go ahead and practice that a few times so you can perfect it. Sometimes, if you do a great call and one is nearby, they will answer you.
When a great horned owl like Big Strig talks, humans hear something more like ‘HOO-HA-HOO, HOOOO-HOO!’ Try that one a few times too, but don’t forget that frog-calling and owl-hooting may be frowned upon in the library.
When you listen, you hear.
According to author Wayne Lynch in the book, Owls of the United States and Canada, the Seminole Indians of Florida had a tradition where they would whistle when they heard a barred owl. If the owl answered, that was a sign of good luck. If not, it was a bad omen.
Anytime you get to hear an owl calling, you’ll feel pretty lucky. There is something wonderful about hearing the call of an owl in the forest at night. Shortly after you hear it, I think you’ll suddenly realize you have a smile on your face and you didn’t even know it!
If you have access to a forested area in the evening, then you’ve got a good chance to head out with an adult and hear the call of an owl who lives in your area. Another option is to find what is often called an “owl prowl” which is just a fun name for a park ranger or naturalist-guided hike at a park or forest near you. National parks, state and local parks, and lots of environmental education centers host owl prowl events throughout the year.
Ready to hear more?
If you give a hoot about owl calls, hopefully you’ll enjoy some of the items I’ve shared below!
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- Nothing beats hearing the call of an owl in the wild, but Audubon will get you ready to tune in with a great article on how to identify five owls by their calls. Barred owls and great horned owls are included along with sound clips you can play to train your ears.
- Watch a clip from one of my favorite shows, Coastal Kingdom, where host Tony Mills and Dr. Chris Marsh go on an owl prowl for the Eastern Screech Owl. You’ll see how they go about finding owls, including the use of an owl’s call to get a response and draw one in for a closer look. http://coastalkingdom.com/episodes/index-of-clips/item/eastern-screech-owl
- Did you know owl calls helped enslaved people escape to freedom? As she led slaves to a free life via the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman would use owl calls to signal the people she was helping. An owl call was a safer way to communicate, since it would blend in with the sounds of the night as they risked their lives to escape. You can read more about how Harriet Tubman used the sounds of nature in her courageous work on the Underground Railroad here: https://www.audubon.org/news/harriet-tubman-unsung-naturalist-used-owl-calls-signal-underground-railroad