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Having a Hoot With Owls

© P.C. Robinson

Like hawks, owls are birds of prey. They rely on keen eyesight, hearing, and swiftness on the hunt. They live on every continent except Antarctica and they live in any type of habitat, from the sparse Arctic tundra to desert sands. They come in all shapes and sizes. In North America, they range from as small as the five-and-three-quarters-inch Elf Owl of the southwest to the 27-inch Great Gray Owl of Canada and Alaska.

Owls are classified in two groups; Barn Owls, which belong to the ornithological family Tytonidae, and all other owls, or typical owls, which are in the Strigidae family. Barn owls like the one shown here are classed separately from their cousins because they’re built differently. They are primarily white with tawny or brown feathering. Their faces are heart-shaped and ringed by a light brown ruff and they lack ear tufts.

Like hawks, owls are lethal hunting machines. Their eyes are set high and wide on their heads, giving them a 110-degree view of the world, or what’s known as “binocular” vision. This vision, combined with the ability to turn their heads 270 degrees, extremely acute hearing, and ability of silent flight don’t give their victims much chance to escape their razor-sharp talons and beaks.

Finding owls is challenging fun. Most owls are nocturnal, meaning they roost during the day. A good way to find a roost in daytime is to watch the ground for owl pellets, pieces of undigested meals the birds regurgitate, such as balled pieces of fur and skeleton. Many clumps around the bottom of a tree could indicate where an owl is roosting.

For a real hoot – literally -- try calling in owls by imitating their calls. Like other birdcalls, owl calls have great variety. The Northern Saw-Whet Owl, for example, has a short, one-note whistle that is constant to the point of monotony. The Eastern Screech Owl’s call is a cross between a soft whistle and a whinny, a delightful little sound. The Great Horned Owl’s call is the classic “hoot—hoot-hoot” you hear on movie soundtracks. The Northern Saw-Whet, Eastern Screech and Great Horned owl calls are fairly easy to mimic and, when done correctly, will call in owls willing to check out the new guy who’s on their turf.

The call of the Barred Owl (shown below), on the other hand, is by far the most challenging, a series of hoots ending in a dying caterwaul that sounds like the phrase, “who cooks for you, who cooks for YOU AW-awlllll…” Not only is it hard to nail down, it’s hilarious if done poorly. A first attempt should not be performed in the company of friends or strangers.

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