Why Owls Make This Unusual Sound

Great horned owls have always symbolized wisdom, knowledge, and the afterlife. In the wild, they are fierce predators and even fiercer protectors of their young, and this maternal owl in the below Instagram post from Raptor Rehab of Kentucky illustrates that fact.

About the Great Horned Owl

Great horned owls should be admired from a distance as they are considered one of the world’s most dangerous birds. The owl’s wingspan can reach nearly five feet despite only weighing three pounds. The great horned owl got its name from the tufts of feathers sticking up on either side of its head, mimicking horns, which only adds to the bird’s menacing features.

Great horned owls are skilled hunters whose colors help camouflage their position. Brown, gray, and white help hide them in trees and overgrowth, and they won’t hesitate to attack to defend their nests, mates, or owlets if disturbed. These owls have been known to attack hikers and joggers who unintentionally happen upon their nests. The species is widespread throughout North America, but seeing them is a rarity due to their nocturnal habits.

Clicking Means Back Off!

In the video above, we see an adult female owl some owlets she’s fostering. Great horned owls are extremely protective of their territory, sometimes spanning two square miles. Common predators of the owl include foxes, coyotes, crows, ravens, and other raptors such as hawks. Therefore, a great horned owl must be ready to defend its nest from land and air threats.

To protect its young, a great horned owl does several things. Raising its enormous wings makes it appear bigger, intimidating predators while flapping its wings is a defensive move. As a warning, owls also snap their beaks, as seen in this video, which makes a clicking sound and sends the message meaning “back off.” It can sometimes be accompanied by hissing. By three weeks, owlets like those at Raptor Rescue start showing their own defensive displays. Owlets leave the nest by ten weeks, but parents protect them until that point.

The beak-clicking in this video is two-fold: It’s both self-defense and communication. Owlets will make this noise to signal to an adult owl that they’re in danger. This behavior is followed by puffing up their feathers, known as defense posturing. Juvenile owls may also posture until they can flee the nest when their wings are fully grown.

What’s That Sound?

Beak-clicking isn’t the only source of the clack-clack coming from a defensive owl. This clicking sound can also be made with their tongues. The combination of the two signifies distress but also a warning. Owls can make many sounds depending on the situation, including screeches or screams, purrs, and snorts. Great horned owls can also clap their wings when declaring territory. If you find a great horned owl in the wild, you might hear it before you ever see it.

At night, great horned owls may screech or “scream.” This has given them a spookier reputation than most and happens for two reasons. One, an owlet is screaming because it’s hungry, and two, an adult owl is screeching to defend its nest from a predator. The latter would follow beak- or tongue-clicking before the owl attacks to defend the nest. Sometimes, a great horned owl will “bark” in response to a threat. This sounds higher-pitched than a dog bark but alerts the nest to incoming threats.

Great horned owls are extremely chatty animals. They’re best known for hooting when defending territory, signaling to others, or attracting mates. This video shows the variety in their communication skills and how quickly they can defend their young with them.