A few nights ago, while I was lying in bed, I heard a low hoo-hoo sound coming from across the street. After a few minutes, the sound was a lot louder and closer. It was actually coming from directly above me - on the roof! Not only that but there were two owl voices. They carried on having quite a conversation, and I actually went to sleep listening to them. It wasn't at all alarming, so I figured the noise was being made by some cute little snowy owls. The next day, I listened online to the noises made by various owl species. Imagine my surprise to recognize the call of a Great Horned Owl! (Pictured above) It's funny, because I had gone to the window thinking I'd be eye-to-eye with an owl. There were no owls looking at me when I opened the window, and good thing judging by who was out there! That would have been freaky. I figured this owl story was a perfect addition to my Halloween blog! Here are a few things I learned about the Great Horned Owl:
- They are 18-25" in length and have a wingspan of 36-60"
- They eat a variety of creatures - birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and even other owls...
- These owls have been known to live 29-38 years!
Sample sounds of the Great Horned Owl are midway down the page.
What a great way to go to sleep! I was fortunate to experience a pair of Great Horned owls conversing while camping last fall. I wish you could have gotten a look at them...they are beautiful birds.
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful, but I was still glad to have a roof between me and them! I may have been a little freaked out if they were too near my campsite! Did you get a good look at the owls?
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