Hi there! Have you ever seen an owl? The other night, I saw a big animal looking right at me, and it turned out to be an owl! Even though I live in a big city, owls are all around us. Today, we’re going to learn more about these amazing birds. Someone named Destiny has a question for us: Why do owls say “hoo”?
That’s a great question! Owls make different sounds, and one of the most famous is the “hoo” sound. Let’s listen to the sounds of four different birds and see if you can guess which ones are owls.
After listening, you’ll find out that all the sounds were made by owls! The third sound you heard was from a great horned owl, which makes the classic “hoo hoo” sound you might have heard in movies. But did you know that not all owls sound the same? There are many kinds of owls, and each one makes a different call.
Here are some examples:
Were you surprised? The great horned owl is one of the few species that makes the “hoo hoo” sound. But why do owls make sounds at all?
Scientists have discovered that owls use their calls to communicate with other owls. Each owl has its own territory where it lives and hunts for food. By calling, an owl is telling other owls to stay away from its area.
Here’s a fun fact: owls aren’t the only birds that say “hoo.” There’s a bird called a mourning dove that makes a sound similar to a great horned owl. Mourning doves go “hoo woo hoo hoo.” But how can you tell them apart if you only hear them?
It’s simple! Doves are usually out during the day, while owls are nocturnal, which means they’re active at night. So, if you hear a “hoo” sound at night, it’s probably an owl!
If you want to hear owls, try going outside in the evening. You might even try calling them, and they could call back to you! Where I live, I can hear both barn owls and great horned owls.
In summary, owls make sounds to tell other owls where they are. Different kinds of owls make different sounds, and not many actually make the “hoo-hoo” sound. You can learn to identify owls, and any bird, by the sounds they make. Thanks, Destiny, for the great question!
Stay curious, and keep exploring the mysteries around us!
Owl Sound Detective: Go on a sound adventure! With a parent or guardian, take a walk in your neighborhood or a nearby park in the evening. Listen carefully for any “hoo” sounds. Can you hear any owls? Try to identify if it’s an owl or another bird like a mourning dove. Remember, owls are usually active at night, while doves are out during the day. Write down or draw what you hear and share your findings with the class.
Create Your Own Owl Call: Using simple materials like paper cups and string, make your own owl call. Decorate your cup to look like an owl, and then practice making different owl sounds. Try to mimic the calls of a barn owl, a great horned owl, and a boreal owl. Share your owl calls with your family and see if they can guess which owl you are imitating!
Owl Habitat Exploration: Draw a picture of an owl’s habitat. Include trees, the night sky, and other animals that might live nearby. Think about why owls might choose to live in certain places. Discuss with your classmates or family why owls need their own territory and how their calls help them communicate. What other animals do you think use sounds to talk to each other?
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[RINGING] That’s where it was. It was right there. Hi, it’s Doug. So the other night, I was out here and this big animal turned its head and was looking right at me. It took me a second to realize it was an owl. I live in a big city, so I forget that there are owls around me, but owls live just about everywhere. Someone named Destiny has a question for us about owls. Let’s give her a call now. [RINGING] Hi, Destiny. Hi, Doug. I have a question for you. Why do owls say “hoo”? That’s a great question. Why do owls say “hoo”? You know, “hoo, hoo, hoo,” like that. Well, I’m going to play you the sounds of four different birds. After listening to each sound, raise your hand if you think it’s an owl. OK, here we go, sound number one. [BIRD CALLING] OK, sound number two. [BIRD SCREECHING] OK, sound number three. [BIRD HOOTING] And sound number four. [BIRD CALLING] OK, are you ready to find out which ones were owls? I’ll play each sound again. And as I do, I’ll reveal a photo of the bird that made the sound. Here we go. [BIRD CALLING] [OWL SCREECHING] [OWL HOOTING] [BIRD CALLING] They were all owls. Now number three was probably the one you guessed that was an owl. It’s the call made by a great horned owl. Sometimes I hear these in the park near my house. They make the classic “hoo hoo” sound you might have heard in movies, like this. [OWL HOOTING] But not all owls sound the same, do they? There are many different kinds or species of owls. Each species of owl makes a different call. This one is a boreal owl. [OWL CALLING] And this one– [OWL SCREECHING] a barn owl. Sounds different. And then this one is a snowy owl. [OWL CALLING] Now were you surprised? In fact, the great horned owl is one of only a few species of owls that make a “hoo hoo” sound, but why do owls make sounds at all? Scientists have studied this. They found out that owls tell other owls where they are by using their calls. Each owl has a territory or an area where it lives and hunts for food. It doesn’t want other owls coming into its territory. So by calling, it’s usually telling other owls to stay away. OK, I’ve got one more bird sound for you. See if you can guess what it is. [BIRD CALLING] Do you have a guess? All right, now I’ll reveal to you what it was. It’s not an owl. It’s a dove. This bird is called a mourning dove. Mourning doves make a “hoo” sound kind of like a great horned owl. They go “hoo woo hoo hoo.” So owls aren’t even the only birds that say “hoo.” If you only hear them, but you don’t see them, how could you tell them apart? Well, it’s pretty easy actually. Doves are like most birds—they’re only out during the daytime. Owls are, of course, nocturnal. You’re only going to hear them in the late evening or at night. You can go out in the evening and look for owls. You can even try calling them. They might respond back to you. I’m totally serious. I’ve made the sound of a barn owl and had one call back to me once. You might even have more than one kind of owl where you live. Where I live, I can hear both barn owls and great horned owls. So in summary, owls make sounds to tell other owls where they are. Different kinds of owls make different sounds. Not many species actually make that “hoo-hoo” sound, but you can learn to identify owls, and really any bird, by the sound that they make. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Destiny, for asking it. Now for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and found three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from how many layers are in the Earth, why do people love pumpkins so much, or how was the alphabet created? So submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week.
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