🦉 Barred Owl
Strix varia
The chatty night watchman of wet woodlands. Barred Owls are famously vocal and will happily answer you if you hoot back.
🔊 Hear the call
🦉 Barred Owl
Reference call (simulated)
“A rhythmic eight-note hoot, often described as “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all?””
What they sound like
A rhythmic eight-note hoot, often described as “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all?”
Why they make this sound
- · Territorial announcement — telling neighbors this patch of woods is taken
- · Pair bonding duets between mates
- · Cackling, monkey-like screams during disputes
When you’ll hear them
Most vocal after dusk and just before dawn, peaking late winter through spring
Where they live
Mature mixed forest, swamps, wooded suburbs near water Eastern North America, expanding through the Pacific Northwest
Fun fact
Barred Owls sometimes shriek like something being dragged into the woods — a big source of 2 AM panic.
Should I be concerned?
Harmless to people. During nesting season they can swoop at anyone who lingers under the nest tree, so keep walking and enjoy from a distance.
Sound signature
- Sound type
- Bird vocalization — hoot
- Pitch
- Medium-low
- Pattern
- Repeated 8-note phrase with a drawn-out ending
- Frequency
- 300–900 Hz