Hooting owls make some of nature’s most amazing sounds, often piercing the night soundscape and sparking a sense of mystery.
But what do those hooting sounds actually mean? Can we use their calls to gain insight into the lives of owls nearby?
In many cases, hearing that old familiar hooting sound means a Great Horned Owl has chosen to set up territory nearby. Here’s what they sound like:
Great horned owls have one of the most distinctive hoots, which often appears in movies.
But other owls also have their own ways of hooting, or even screeching, whistling, clicking & barking.
What at first might seem like random sounds can actually tell us quite a lot. So let’s decode some of the deeper meanings behind these owl sounds.
The Main Reasons Owls Vocalize: Territory & Courtship
Owl hooting is first and foremost a territorial & courtship behavior. Male owls perch inside their territory and project rhythmic hoots into the night to alert other owls that this spot is taken.
This hooting also acts as an announcement to female owls that says “I’m healthy, I have hunting grounds & a nest site.” Many owls are also monogamous with courted pairs calling back and forth.
Owls have very specific needs for their nest sites, in some cases using rare and difficult to find cavities. They also need lots of hunting space, which all puts them into competition with other owls.
Since owls nest very early in the season, these courtship and territorial calls often begins in the fall and reach their peak during winter as they secure mates and prime locations before the late winter/early spring breeding period.
Why Do Owls Hoot At Night?
As for why owls hoot at night, a big part of it has to do with their nocturnal habits which again stem back to common life-sustaining activities like hunting, courtship & mating.
Owls use a stealthy perch and swoop hunting strategy and are specifically adapted for night vision. Their ears are capable of precisely pinpointing location & distance of prey in the dark. Owls even have fuzzy feathers that help absorb sound impact as they glide through the dark forest to pounce on unsuspecting prey.
Calling at night also means their deep resonant hooting sounds can travel much farther when they aren’t competing with high winds and bird sounds.
There’s also less pressure from daytime aerial predators like eagles & large hawks.
Decoding Owl Calls & Sounds
When it comes to understanding owl calls, context is the key.
It’s important to consider what season you’re in and pay close attention to how many owls are making noise. The specific type of sound is then interpreted within the context of their overall behavior.
Let’s look at some common calls and what they usually mean in context:
Territorial Calls
As described above, most territorial calls just involve a solitary owl hooting out into the landscape, like a general warning to any others that might come near.
But other times, when a rival male decides to invade their competitors established territory, you might start to hear multiple owls making sounds that can become extremely aggressive. This can still include more of the same old hooting sounds, but also beak snapping, hissing, growls & other provocative noises.
Direct territorial challenges become more common starting in late summer into early fall as young owls disperse across the landscape, looking for mates and territory.
However owls will actively protect territories throughout their entire courtship & breeding time, making this the most common vocalization scenario.
Social Calls: Courtship VS Family Groups
Along with male owls protecting their territory, I mentioned before that some owls will also perform duets back and forth during courtship. Courting male & females generally make the exact same call but some species like barred owls have subtle variations that tell you if the owl is male or female.
Courtship reaches its peak during the winter months and involves clear back and forth communication between two peaceful owls.
Some owls can also be extremely social and friendly within their family groups, especially during their juvenile phase. This begins with whistles & other strange noises in the fledgling phase when young owlets start leaving the nest in late spring/early summer.
But some species like barred owls even continue their family social calls well into adulthood which sounds more like this:
Screaming & Screeching
Similar to the hoots exchanged back and forth, some owls will communicate by screeching or screaming in a variety of ways.
Ever heard a noise coming from outside at nighttime that sounds like a woman screaming? It could be an owl calling out!
Here’s an example of an Eastern Screech Owl calling up a storm.
Defense & Warning Sounds (Response to Threat)
Harsh sounds like barks, growls, hisses, and beak snaps usually mean an owl feels threatened. This could be by a potential predator near the nest (often peaks during nesting season – spring/summer) or a more direct threat to themselves.
Hearing these sounds is somewhat rare and often indicates agitation or defense. If an owl ever makes these defensive sounds at your approach, it’s always best to be respectful and give them more space.
Are All Owls Nocturnal? (Day vs Night Activity)
While many owls are primarily nocturnal, there are quite a few others that are active during the day.
Below are a few types of common nocturnal and diurnal (awake and active during the day) owls.
| Species | Location | Nocturnal or Diurnal |
| Eastern Screech Owl | Eastern to Midwestern U.S. | Nocturnal |
| Western Screech Owl | Southeast Alaska to Arizona Desert | Nocturnal, but sometimes active on cloudy days |
| Barn Owl | The U.S., Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa | Both nocturnal and active during sunrise and sunset |
| Great Horned Owl | From Alaska to Argentina | Nocturnal, but sometimes hunt during the day in winter |
| Burrowing Owl | Southern U.S. Border and Mexico | Diurnal |
| Snowy Owl | Alaska, Northern Canada, Eurasia | Diurnal |
| Barred Owl | North America | Active both at night and during the day |
Learn more about how to find owls living near you.
Why Are Owls Hooting So Much at Night?
Lots of noise will be heard at night if your home is located close to any nocturnal owls.
We covered territory, courtship, predator defence, and even some variations between different types of Owls.
Sometimes, you’ll hear the sound of screeching or shrieking owls fighting to protect their home or territory from possible predators.
Other times, if you take a second to pause and lend your ear, you’ll most likely hear the sounds of owls hooting and mingling back and forth as they get to know each other to eventually begin their lives together as they mate and start their own family.
By taking the time to listen and get to know the different owl hoots, you can soon become an expert by knowing exactly what kind of noise is being made and “hoo” it belongs to.
Awesome thanks. I hear my mating barn owls as we speak amd it’s so cool!
A horned owl usually hoots a few times around 10PM and 4:45-5AM. Tonight was constant non stop I don’t know if he’s threatened or looking for a mate. I know I shouldn’t worry but he has lived around here for years and has never done this. I guess I need to record it so you could analyze it. I become attached to my birds. We have twoEagles that come every winter and perch right outside our patio. Any reasons this fellow would be constantly hooting non stop for long periods of time?
Hi Stacey! This certainly is the season for courtship & territorial activity. Anytime you notice a change in behavior, it’s a great opportunity to keep observing and learn.
I would encourage you to write down anything else you remember about that night… what was the weather? Location? etc. because that way if it happens again you’ll have something to compare against and possibly find a pattern.
For example – You might someday notice the behavior only repeats during very specific weather conditions, or in certain locations. It might be linked to something really specific like a sudden boom in the rabbit populations.
It takes time and repetition to identify exactly what’s happening, so the most important thing is to keep watching & listening to your place.
Were you able to conclusively tell whether this was a single owl? Is it possible you were hearing multiple owls? Were the calls coming from the same location you normally hear them from?
Thanks for sharing!
Wow how interesting to know about the different hooting noise Owls make. We lived in San Antonio Tx, and we lived in the city. I spent a lot of time outside on my patio at night. I hear an Owl hooting he is normal just looking for a mate, now that I know what are the different hooting noises I can tell what he is doing. I did see him one night flying across my back yard beautiful white medium size Owl. Just wanted to share my story about this amazing creature. I only wish I could see him again.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you get to see him again too!
Just heard a few owls screeching, hooting at each other. They got pretty loud then all went silent. They’ve done this before but i’ve never paid attention to their pattern or timing. I’ve seen a couple out in the trees during the day. We live out in the country, S.E Texas, and have several squirrels. I’ll have to do some investigating to see how squirrels and owls coexist.
Owls will definitely hunt squirrels given the right opportunity. I’ve frequently witnessed red squirrels alarming in the presence of Barred Owls, and I would expect to see a similar relationship in other species. It’ll probably be most noticeable in owls that have active periods during the daytime. I’ve written a bit more about squirrel alarms on other posts: https://nature-mentor.com/squirrel-chatter-calls/
Every March we hear the barred owl, last year got a photo but a bit blurry. Almost 2 ft long! Well the other week a dog scared 2 of them away barking but they came back last night and one cackled like a chicken in trouble. I was able to view one but couldn’t find the other too. It was about 5 am. So I’m prepared tonight with my professional camera & a 300 lense! I love listening to them hoot!
After the storm Isaias, I heard two Great Horned Owls hooting very early hours (3-4 am) and they seemed to be trying to locate one another as the hoots got closer and closer. Last night though from the area of the dominant owl hoot – the hoot was mixed with a trilling – never heard that sound before- I wonder what that was about-
Cool reading . I picked this up after listening to an owl who appears to have found a new home in my yard. I’ll be listening for the different “calls”. Hoping their not too late. I’m up four a:m for work.
Have fun out there! I’m currently being entertained by Juvenile Barred owls hunting Crickets and Katydids. The sounds they make are so funny!
I’m visiting my parents in northern CA, and we have a great horned owl that has lived here for many years. We have a blue spruce in the front of their house and almost every morning around 4am, it’s hoot-hooting. We also heard it in the backyard one evening as we have oak trees in the back area and that was around 8pm. They are such beautiful creatures. I live in RI and right around now, our local great horned owl is about to mate these next few months. We saw the owlet around March 2021. I wish I could actually see the owl in CA!
Hi Claudia, thanks for your comment!
I would highly recommend that you try out the steps from my other article on how to find owls in the wild – https://nature-mentor.com/how-to-find-owls/
You’re very close so those steps should help you see the owl in CA. Let me know if you get stuck anywhere!
We recently (early January) have a new owl near our house. I wondered why it was hooting so much, and why the hooting that started in front of our house moved to the back (we’re guessing that he moved from one nest to another one that suited him better.) no will be listening for him to find a mate. Thanks so much!
Owls start their courtship very early in the year, so this is most likely why you’re noticing a sudden increase in the hooting.
It’s unlikely that they’re building nests in January, but it depends on how far south you are, and what type of owls you have there…
Do you know what kind of owl it is? Sometimes you can tell males from females just by their voice!
Hi, I am listening to an owl that has been calling this last week and wondered why. It was very helpful to find this, thanks,
We only have one owl here in New Zealand and call it a morepork or ruru (Maori language). And, it’s autumn. He may be getting ready early, has found a good spot and seeking a mate.
I am always interested in birdcalls, especially the early morning chatter of several species like thrushes, starlings, sparrows and finches. Do you have anything about this, please? Thank you.
Thanks for sharing!
I’ve written a fair bit about our most common North American thrush, the American Robin: https://nature-mentor.com/robin-calls/
I also have an article that goes into sparrow calls, which are some of the easiest bird calls to make sense of: https://nature-mentor.com/why-sparrows-chirp/
In general – the more you learn about bird language, the easier it is to understand any bird you’re hearing. So I’d also recommend my beginner’s guide to bird language: https://nature-mentor.com/bird-language-beginners/
Thanks for your question and I hope that helps!