Listed below are the sounds made by the most common owls.
See if you can recognize the one in your neighborhood.
The barn owl is not a hooting owl. Its calls range from a rasping hissss to a hair raising scream. Its hissss sounds like a whistling tea kettle, and it's scream is a shrill kiiish or even an eerie snore.
This raptor makes a descending-quavering whistle or "whinny". Occasionally it will also hoot a persistent but soft single pitched sound like whoot or boot.
The barred owl is a highly vocal owl. Indeed, it is so loud and noisy that it can be quite easy to find. Its standard call is a ringing accented series of hoots. Some people believe that the hooting of this owl sounds like someone slowly saying "who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-a-a-a-alllll". This raptor makes many other vocalizations which range from a short yelp or bark to a frenzied and raucous monkey-like squall that can make the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end.
It's song is an endless series of low monotone whistled notes with an occasional up slurred-rasping whistle. This owl's name comes from its unusual call. The Saw-whet Owl makes a call which is said to be just like the sound made by a saw when the teeth of the saw are sharpened.
One of the best known sounds of the night, the Great Horned Owl gives a series of six or seven low, resonant hoots: whoo, who-who-who, whoo whoo. The hooting of the male owl is deep, while the sound of the female is at a higher pitch.
It does not call south of its arctic breeding grounds.
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