The Owl Pages Forum

pik-n-fin · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 20

Every so often I hear a screech owl by my house. So far it has always been that kind of "trill" that they do. But tonight at dusk, I heard the whinnying for the very first time. It was pretty persistent so I rushed out of the house to try to find it. It was doing it for a fairly long time. It sounded to be about a block away, so of course it stopped by the time I made it that far.

My question is: do the different sounds communicate distinctive things to them? And do we know what they might be?

Thanks in advance for any info, Pik n Fin

owlboy · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:52 pm Post subject:

Owls do have different calls. Some owls have quite a vocabulary. With it being nesting season, the owlets will have calls of their own until they learn how to call correctly from their parents.

The sad point is that they hear you coming, so they stop. It can be quite frustrating. I would attempt to find the nest in the general vicinity of the call. Some owlers will put up voice activated recorders to capture the sound.
_________________
Always looking for Owls in Greene County NY

pik-n-fin · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 20

Thank you Owlboy. Does the whinnying indicate that they are agitated or anything urgent? It seems like kind of a distressed kind of sound?

Thanks again!

owlboy · Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:32 am Post subject:

Sounds like they are hungry. Owlets often scream for food from their parents.
_________________
Always looking for Owls in Greene County NY