Owls, with their large eyes and silent flight, are often thought of as creatures of the night. These birds of prey have captivated human imagination for centuries, primarily due to their nocturnal habits and the intriguing sounds they produce under the cover of darkness.
Daytime Hooting: The Straight Answer
While many owl species are indeed most active at night, some do hoot during the day. Hearing an owl’s call during daylight hours is not uncommon and can occur for a few different reasons. Certain species are naturally more active during the day or at twilight, increasing the likelihood of their vocalizations being heard outside of typical nocturnal periods.
Why Owls Hoot During Daylight Hours
Owls hoot during daylight hours for several communicative purposes. One primary reason is territorial defense, where owls use loud calls to establish and maintain their boundaries against other owls, signaling their presence to neighbors. Hooting also serves mating and courtship, with males often hooting to attract females and strengthen pair bonds, sometimes engaging in duets with their mates.
Communication between mated pairs is another function, especially when one partner is incubating eggs and the other is foraging. Softer hoots exchanged between individuals help them stay connected. Owls may also hoot as an alarm call, signaling the presence of a potential threat or predator.
Owl Species Active by Day
Several owl species are known to be active or vocal during daylight hours, distinguishing them from their strictly nocturnal relatives. The Northern Hawk Owl, for instance, is largely diurnal, hunting actively throughout the day in its northern habitats. This species often perches prominently, scanning for prey like small mammals before swiftly striking.
The Barred Owl is another species frequently heard during the day, known for its distinctive “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” hoot. While primarily nocturnal, Barred Owls often call and even hunt during daylight, particularly in dense, swampy woodlands. Burrowing Owls are also active during the day, though they may avoid the midday heat, and are frequently seen near their underground burrows in open grasslands. Great Gray Owls, large owls of boreal forests, may also be heard and seen hunting during the day, particularly near dawn or dusk.
More Than Just a Hoot: Other Owl Sounds and Their Meanings
Beyond the familiar hoot, owls employ a diverse array of vocalizations, each conveying specific messages. Screeches and screams, often high-pitched and unsettling, are commonly used by juvenile owls or as distress signals. Barn Owls, for example, are known for their shrieks.
Whistles and trills are used for courtship or bonding between mates. Eastern Screech-Owls produce a descending whinny and an extended trill to defend territories and attract mates.
Owls also make barks and hisses as defensive behaviors when feeling threatened. Burrowing Owls, for example, emit a long, rattling hiss that mimics a rattlesnake to deter predators from their burrows.
Chirps and chatters are used for communication between parents and chicks or to signal location. Great Horned Owls have a complex repertoire that includes various types of hoots, chitters, and squawks, along with non-vocal sounds like hisses and bill clacking.