Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
audible at any distance; close up, it's a raspy, almost gargled sound on a slightly lower note than the
rest of the call.
The basic eight-hoot call of the barred owl is quite easy to imitate with just a little practice, and owls
can often be induced to respond, or even be called closer, in this fashion. It's also possible to purchase
calls that can be blown to give a passable imitation of a barred owl.
There are many variations in the number and pattern of hoots, ranging from a single
hooooaww
to a
four-note
hoohoohoohooooaww,
along with all sorts of in-between permutations. We've often used the
technique of trying to imitate precisely whatever a barred owl says, especially after we've called one
to close quarters. On a number of camping trips, we've carried on lengthy conversations with barred
owls—sometimes two owls at a time—by imitating their every call. Sometimes these conversations
have stretched out for nearly an hour until either we or the owls grew tired of it. I have no idea what we
were saying in owl language on those occasions, but it must have been good!
This wide variety of hoots by no means exhausts the repertoire of such a remarkable vocalist. In
addition to hoots, this bird can emit a bloodcurdling scream that is truly frightening to the uninitiated.
Some have described it as sounding like a woman's scream. Others, unfamiliar with the barred owl's
vocal versatility, have attributed it to bobcats and other beasts. After all, owls are supposed to hoot,
not shriek like a banshee. Once this scream has been heard a few times, its source can immediately be
identified as a barred owl: instead of starting as a full-throated scream, such as a human would make,
it begins as a thinner sound that builds steadily to a crescendo, thus: This cry becomes amusing, rather
than frightening, when one becomes familiar with it.
Far more amusing, however, is what I term the “monkey call.” This rather staccato production,
oo-
hoohahhahhawhawhawhawhaw,
is a bit difficult to portray in print, but it indeed sounds almost like the
call of certain kinds of monkeys. Hearing a pair of barred owls close together, with one initiating this
call a note or two after the other, is sure to elicit a delighted laugh from the human listener!
In addition to these calls, as well as hisses, moans, and all sorts of other variations, fledgling barred
owls make yet another sound. Early one summer we became aware of frequent little mewing noises,
much like a cat's but softer, coming from the woods close to our house. My wife suggested that, since
most of the strange noises emanating from our woods were made by barred owls, this was probably an
owl call, as well.
I thought this was rather dubious, but finally took binoculars and sneaked very slowly and quietly
toward the source of the mewing. Before long I spied a movement in a nearby tree, and the binoculars
