Last Updated on: May 30, 2026
Their spooky calls can often be heard echoing through the night, causing many a superstitious man or woman to squirm when they hear it on an evening stroll through the woods.
Rest assured, when an owl hoots, it’s not trying to scare you or put you on edge. Nor is it trying to warn you of impending danger or summon some kind of spirit from the unseen world. Their distinct calls, though different from most other species of bird, serve a number of practical purposes. So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering ‘why do owls hoot?’, read on as we walk you through the four main reasons for their call, and some of the species you should keep an eye out for on your next birding expedition.
Why Do Owls Hoot At Night?
While we mainly associate the hooting sound with owls, they can actually make a variety of different sounds, including barks, screams, screeches, whistles, and growls.
One of the most popular questions about owls is, what does it mean when you hear an owl hoot at night? Some believe an owl hooting through the night brings good fortune, while others say it spells misfortune or warns about the future. Others believe an owl hoots wisdom to guide you through a situation. Below we discuss the actual reason owls tend to hoot both at night and during the day.
1. Defense
Owls might be some of the largest and fiercest birds, but they can also face a range of threats from different predators like foxes, hawks, squirrels, and snakes. Owls will often use sounds, such as hoots or shrieks, as both an alarm to inform other birds about the presence of a nearby predator and a deterrent or warning to try and scare said predator away.
If you hear an owl hooting at night that suddenly stops, it could be that the danger it detected has either been dealt with or retreated and is no longer a concern.
2. Fear
Though their deep eyes often look unflinching, owls are sensitive to movement and changes in their environment and can be easily startled. If they detect anything out of the ordinary, like a photographer looking for a good camera angle, they will more than likely give a low-pitched hoot,bark or growl.
Like the previous point, this can be done to alert other birds to potential danger whilst trying to scare it away.However a fearful call is usually less intense than a defensive call since they aren’t quite ready to attack and defend their territory.
3. Mating & Courtship
The courtship dance of many bird species is one of the most exciting sights in the wild, and owls don’t disappoint. Male owls tend to hoot more as part of their courting ritual. Male barn owls for instance have a fancy mating display, flying out to and from the nest while calling.
There’s more to the courtship ritual for owls than just singing their songs. Owls will often engage in flying, diving, and flapping, sometimes alone and sometimes as a pair depending on the species. Prospective partners will also often hoot together as part of the ritual.
4. To Mark A Territory
Most owls are territorial species, and are highly protective of their selected hunting, breeding and nesting areas.
When males find a place to build their nest, they will generally let out a loud series of hoots, announcing to every other bird in the area that their spot is out of bounds. Some species of owl take over the nests of other birds instead of building new ones, and their call is a primary way of establishing the takeover. The call can also be used to ward off other owls from the territory; when another bird is detected, owls will begin to hoot to warn and scare off the competition.
How To ID Owls By Their Calls
At this point you might be wondering how to identify owls by their different calls. Here we’ll discuss a few species you’re likely to see on your birdwatching journey. The list is specific to North America, so it’s entirely possible that some of these might already be in your neighborhood, and if that’s the case, you’ll be able to recognise the calls to listen for during the day or night.
1. Barred Owl
Barred Owls hoot can have up to nine notes.It’s one of the most popular and distinctive calls that you probably already know. The intonation kind of sounds like the bird is asking, “who cooks for you?”
Barred owls also have a mating song that consists of crackers, gurgles, hoots, and other sounds. Their hoot is not just reserved for the dead of night, and will often also pierce the air well into the early hours of the morning.
2. Eastern-screech Owl
Eastern-screech Owls have an even pitched trill called a tremolo that lasts up to six seconds. Their calls are typically used by families to communicate between themselves.
Their other song is a descending whinny that lasts up to two seconds.They will often use this one to defend their territory. Eastern screech owls can sing both of these songs at the same time, and mating pairs will also sing throughout the day and the night.
3. Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl is a common species throughout North America. You’ll often hear the male owls sing to claim their territory. This is a distinctive call, a mixture of deep and soft notes that sound like Hoo-HOO-Hoo-Hoo.
When a pair of Great Horned Owls chant together, the female owl will typically start before being followed by the male at a lower pitch. These owls are more active at night, so you’re more likely to hear them at dusk or early morning.
Great Horned Owls make a number of other sounds, from hisses to barks and shrieks. It will also clap its bill in stressful situations, such as when a human gets too close to nestlings, emitting a loud knocking sound.
4. Burrowing Owl
If you want to know whether Burrowing Owls are around, it’s worth waiting around for their mating season when males make a soft cooing sound. It’s easy to mistake its Burrowing Owl hoots for the call of a mourning dove. Burrowing Owls also rely on this sound to defend their burrows from predators like rattlesnakes. Before they get the hang of their song, younger birds tend to have more of a rasping sound.
5. Barn Owl
Barn Owls make a range of different hoots to those commonly made by other owls. Barn Owl calls are longer, lasting almost two seconds, in which they let out a high-pitched hoot that sounds like k-r-r-r-rick. As a general rule longer calls, up to four seconds, are typically made as a distress signal when predators or other intruders are close..
Barn Owls are defensive of the area around their home, but not their hunting grounds and it is common to see two owls hunting in the same spot.
You’ll almost always hear males more frequently, especially as they invite the female owls to inspect the nesting site.
6. Snowy Owl
Both male and female Snowy Owls hoot, however the male has a more powerful call. Snowy Owls tend to hoot from two to six times at once. They will let out a deep, hoarse sound that can travel up to seven miles. Snowy Owls will also hoot, whistle, and hiss when defending their territory.
7. Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Northern Saw-Whet males make a too-too-too, which can last for about two seconds, when they arrive at a new territory. It sounds much like a whistle, and can travel for up to half a mile. Other males can be heard responding with faster, softer calls. When in courtship, males and females will both use a too-too-too sound to sing to each other.
Roaming Tip: Many cultures believe that there is more to an owl’s presence and call than meets the eye. Read our post here to find out more — Owl Symbolism.
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Conclusion
You might hear an owl hoot before seeing its big eyes peering through the tree branches back at you. As a birder, think of owl songs and calls as communication signals between themselves and other birds or predators. Shrieks, growls or barks for instance are usually emitted when they’re feeling threatened, while more beautiful and soft calls are mere territorial statements or mating calls.
Either way, each noise has a purpose. Although hearing an owl hoot in your backyard can be an eery experience it can no doubt be one of the most incredible birding experiences that you’ll not be likely to forget soon.