Males and females will bark together, and sometimes they throw in a fun “yowing” sound too. True to its name, the medium-sized barking owl makes a distinct “woof-woof” vocalization. The medium-sized barking owl sounds a lot like a dog crying out “woof-woof”.ĭogs aren’t the only ones who like to bark. You can tell apart the female’s voice since it is higher than the male’s. Sometimes male and female great horned owls sing together, taking turns with their calls. They also can produce bone-chilling wavering cries. When defending their space this species will hiss and clack by snapping their beaks together. Great horned owls spice up their hiss by throwing in other sounds. This species has one of the longer hissing vocalizations, with a single hiss sometimes lasting as long as four seconds. Burrowing owls frequently roost in burrows that rattlesnakes use as well.īarn owls also like to hiss as a way of scaring off anyone who intrudes on their nest. This comes in handy when they need to defend their low-to-the-ground territory. Their hissing sound is similar to that of a rattlesnake’s. What owls hiss? For starters, there’s the burrowing owl. Snakes, giraffes, cats, and owls are all capable of hissing. Hissīarn owls hiss as a way of scaring off anyone who intrudes on their nest.Ī lot of animals hiss as a way of scaring off a potential threat.

Some of their favorite territories include coniferous forests throughout North America. Their “toot-toot-toot-toot” call helps them establish their presence in a territory. The sounds are comparable to the sound a saw makes sharpening on a whetstone. The tiny Northern saw-whet owl is famous for making a repetitive toot. The tiny Northern saw-whet owl is famous for making a repetitive toot.Īlong with saying “hoot”, owls also like to “toot”. These vocalizations have a hypnotic and rhythmic pattern: “hoo-h’HOO-hoo”. These birds let others know where they live by making low, gentle hoots. What owl hoots three times? Great horned owls.

These birds have a circumpolar range that stretches throughout the northern regions of North America and Eurasia. Snowy owls are another species that loves to hoot. You can find western screech owls west of the Rockies, as well as along the Pacific coast. They produce a series of hoots that get progressively faster as the vocalization goes on. Western screech owls are one of the species that uses hoots to communicate. Western screech owls are one of the species that uses hoots to communicate.įirst on our list of sounds owls make we have the famous “hoot” or “who”. So take a look! By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know how to speak owl. In this article, we’ll be learning all about the diverse sounds owls make and the meaning behind each one. As creatures of the night, owls heavily rely on vocal cues to navigate their environment, communicate with mates, and defend their territories.įrom haunting hoots to piercing shrieks, these nocturnal birds are skilled vocalists, each sound carrying a special message. With over 200 species spread across the globe, owls are famous for their exceptional sense of hearing and impressive vocal abilities.

Nightowl sound