The owl that is most commonly associated with making a screeching noise is the barn owl. Barn owls have a distinctive screeching or hissing sound that they use for communication purposes. This screeching noise can often be heard at night when barn owls are most active. Other owl species also make screeching noises, though the barn owl’s screech tends to be the most recognizable.
Barn Owl Screech
The barn owl (Tyto alba) gets its name from its habit of nesting in barns and other man-made structures. It has a widespread distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The barn owl is a medium-sized owl with a heart-shaped facial disk and small, black eyes. Its plumage can vary from reddish-brown to an off-white color.
The barn owl screech is often described as sounding like a long, drawn-out hiss. It’s an eerie, raspy sound that has been likened to fingernails on a chalkboard. When agitated, the barn owl may make a harsh, grating shriek. This screech serves several purposes, including claiming territory, attracting mates, and warning off potential predators.
Barn owl screeches have a very high-pitched quality, sometimes reaching over 1000 Hertz. This frequency allows the sound to carry well, even over long distances. Studies have shown barn owls can hear frequencies up to 12,000 Hz, giving them exceptional hearing adapted for night-time hunting. The left and right ear openings are slightly offset, allowing the owl to accurately locate the source of sounds in darkness.
Reasons for Screeching
Barn owls screech for the following main reasons:
- Defending territory – Barn owls are territorial, and screeching is a way to warn other owls away.
- Attracting mates – Screeching helps male and female barn owls find each other during breeding season.
- Begging call – Nestlings screech to let the adults know they are hungry.
- Alarm call – A screech may signal danger or the presence of a predator.
The barn owl has over 20 distinct vocalizations. Researchers have identified screeching sounds for courtship duets, food begging, and alarm calls. The tone and pitch of the screech can communicate different information.
Other Owl Species That Screech
While the barn owl has the most pronounced screech, other owl species also make screeching noises:
Eastern Screech Owl
The eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. As its name suggests, this small owl makes a screeching sound similar to the barn owl. Its screech is described as a whinny or a trill, with a descending pitch. The eastern screech owl’s screech serves similar purposes as the barn owl’s – defending territory, finding mates, and alarming predators.
Great Horned Owl
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) inhabits much of North and South America. It screeches as a territorial call and as a way to communicate with its mate. The great horned owl’s screech is lower-pitched than the barn owl’s, sounding more like a raspy cough. It makes this coughing screech repeatedly during the breeding season.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
The northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) can be found across North America. Its screeching call consists of a long, high-pitched trill, lasting up to 3 seconds. As one of the smallest owl species, the northern saw-whet owl screeches to claim territory and attract mates despite its small size. The screeching call carries well through forests and woodlands.
Flammulated Owl
The flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus) inhabits western North America. Its screeching voice consists of a low-pitched hooting followed by a rising, whistling call. It uses this haunting call to claim nesting territory and when calling for its mate. The flammulated owl’s screech has an echoing quality well-suited to the rocky canyons and cliffs where it nests.
Purpose of the Screeching Call
Owls screech for several important reasons related to their survival:
- Claiming Territory – Screeching announces an owl’s presence and signals a nest or hunting territory is occupied.
- Finding Mates – The screech call helps male and female owls locate each other during breeding season.
- Predator Defense – Screeching may startle or intimidate predators, warning them away from an owl’s nest.
- Prey Location – Some owls may screech to draw out potential prey animals.
Owls are highly territorial birds and use vocalizations like screeching to communicate ownership of an area. Screeching ramps up during late fall and winter months when owls are establishing breeding territories. The unique sound, pitch, and frequency of an owl’s screech allows other individuals to recognize that owl. Mated pairs may develop matching screeches.
Interpreting Owl Screeches
While all owl screeches have a similar raspy, piercing quality, each species’ screech is unique. Interpreting the meaning of an owl’s screech requires listening closely to pick up on subtle variations in tone and pitch:
- A short, repeated screech signals alarm or aggression. This warns predators or trespassing owls away.
- A loud, single extended screech proclaims territory ownership and deters rivals.
- A dual screeching duet between two owls shows a pair bonding and communicating.
- Soft, wavering screeches demonstrate young owls begging for food.
- A downward-arching screech attracts potential mates.
Learning some key owl species’ screech patterns helps identify which owl is present without needing visual confirmation. For example, the eastern screech owl’s whinny-like trill is very different from the barn owl’s drawn-out raspy hiss. Interpreting screeches takes practice, but can reveal owl behaviors and relationships.
How Owls Screech
Owls don’t have vocal cords like humans. Instead, they produce calls using a structure called the syrinx located at the junction of the trachea and bronchial tubes. Contracting muscles around the syrinx modifies the air flow to generate different screeches.
Other adaptations allow owls to screech loudly:
- Large, forward-facing facial disks focus sound waves outward.
- Asymmetrical ear openings funnel sound waves directly to each ear.
- Soft edges on primary feathers muffle background noise.
- Concave and fimbreated facial disks act like satellite dishes catching faint sounds.
These adaptations give owls acute hearing and help them vocalize intensely. Covering just one ear opening makes an owl’s ability to pinpoint sounds collapse. With both ears operational, they can strike prey in complete darkness relying only on auditory cues.
When Are Owls Most Vocal?
Owls are most vocal during:
- Late fall and early winter – breeding season when owls scream more frequently to find mates and defend nest sites.
- Late winter and spring – increased screeches communicate nesting locations to potential rivals.
- Summer – begging young owls screech often demanding food.
Seasonal variations in screeching help communicate different information. More aggressive, territorial screeches in fall and winter aid mating and nest defense. Hungry, food-begging screeches occur more in summer as owlets become fledglings.
In general, owl screeches occur most often:
- At night – owls are nocturnal, so midnight to 4 am are prime screeching times.
- Near dawn/dusk – activity increases as owls leave daytime roosts to hunt.
- At nest/roost sites – screeches defend critical territory.
Listening for nighttime screeching can help locate owls. Dawn and dusk chorus screeches signal prime hunting times when small mammals and other prey also become active.
Conclusion
The barn owl produces the most recognizable, eerie screeching sound among owls. However, many owl species screech, with each call having unique characteristics. Owls screech to defend territories, attract mates, alarm predators, and beg for food. Their specialized anatomy allows loud screeching to carry far at night. Learning to interpret screech variations provides insight into owl behavior. Screeches occur most often during breeding seasons and nighttime hunting hours when they serve key communication purposes. So next time you hear a distant, haunting nighttime screech it’s likely a vocal owl staking its claim or seeking a mate.
