Identifying Owls by Their Calls: A Nighttime Listener's Guide

Owls are secretive and mostly nocturnal, so the surest way to identify them is by ear. Learn a handful of signature sounds and your nighttime walks transform.

Great Horned Owl: the classic hoot

A deep, soft, rhythmic series — “hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo” — like a muffled foghorn. This is the sound most people picture when they think 'owl.' Pairs often duet, the female's voice slightly higher.

Barred Owl: 'who cooks for you?'

A rich, barking series famously phrased “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all?” Barred Owls are noisy and will answer imitations, and their pair 'caterwauling' is a wild cackling racket in the dark.

Eastern Screech-Owl: the eerie whinny

Despite the name it doesn't screech. Listen for a descending horse-like whinny and a soft, even trill on one pitch. It's a small owl of suburbs and woodlots, easily overlooked.

Barn Owl: the scream

A harsh, raspy, drawn-out shriek — genuinely unsettling if you don't know what it is. Barn Owls hunt open fields and farmland and nest in barns, silos, and nest boxes.

Tips for owling

• Go out at dusk or in the first hours of darkness, especially in late winter when owls are most vocal during courtship.
• Stay still and listen for several minutes — owls call intermittently.
• Avoid heavy use of playback, which can stress territorial birds; a few quiet listens go a long way.

Record it and confirm

Phone microphones pick up owl calls surprisingly well in the quiet of night. Record a few seconds and run sound ID in Birder AI — BirdNET handles owls nicely and gives you a confident name without ever seeing the bird.