Larry Meiller finds out what birds are on the wing and which will stay for the winter. Plus, an update on the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas, Wisconsin Bird Cities, and owl sounds for Halloween!
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Whose Hoo? Bird Expert Asks If You Can Identify Owl Calls
Around Halloween especially, owls have a moment in the spotlight. Wisconsin is fortunate to be home to several species — so listen up and learn to identify their calls!
Owls can be difficult to detect because they often hunt at night, and because their wings are designed for silent flight. Their vocalizations can also be difficult to identify because each species has a range of sounds that it makes in different seasons and situation, according to Carl Schwartz, the former president of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.
Birders often use memory and identification techniques that help to pinpoint which bird they are hearing.
Schwartz said that for barred owls, their call is described as sounding like “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.”” He added that barred owls will often be heard near water, due to the habitiat of the snakes and amphibians they tend to feed on.
“That’s one that’s always cool to hear in the woods,”” he said.
The eastern screech owl has a very different — and unforgettable — sound, according to Ryan Brady, a research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Wildlife Management. He described its call as “kind of like a descending whinny.”
Brady remembers hearing a screech owl for the first time as a young person in the night woods of Pennsylvania.
“It chased me out of the woods,” he said. “It’s somewhat haunting, especially if you don’t know what it is.”
Schwartz noted that this is the perfect time of year to hear screech owls calling.
Northern saw-whet owls are Wisconsin’s smallest species, and can be difficult to identify by their calls. Brady said that their calls can range from “cat-like meows, to little barks mixed in, plus the regular tooting,” he said. The tooting sounds like a loud repeated whistle and is most common in the late winter and early spring breeding season, he said.
Quiz time!
To try your hand at identifying these species and a couple of others, listen to the audio below. There are five owl calls that you will hear, with an assigned number. Match the call to the corresponding species listed here:
- Long-Eared Owl
- Eastern Screech Owl
- Barred Owl
- Northern Saw-Whet Owl
- Great Horned Owl
At the end of hearing the five calls, you will then hear the calls again with the answer.
Here’s the audio:
Episode Credits
- Larry Meiller Host
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Ryan Brady Guest
- Carl Schwartz Guest
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