Nicknamed 'screech owl', the barn owl's call is a haunting, high-pitched scream that pierces the night sky.
Identifying owl sounds
Barn owls make a high-pitched screeching sound, very different to the 'hoot' of a tawny owl. Not to be confused by the actual screech owl, a genus of owl found mainly in the Americas, the barn owl is the most widespread owl species in the world and is found on every continent, except Antarctica.
UK owls
Here in the UK, the barn owl is one of five owl species: native tawny, short-eared and long-eared owls, and the little owl, a species introduced to Britain in the 1800s. A beautiful bird, with white feathers that glow bright at night complemented by golden, buff-coloured plumage on its back, the barn owl's call is a contrasting screech - a haunting, ear-splitting noise! The iconic owl hoot you might hear in the trees, actually belongs to the tawny owl. This species deeper-pitch twit-twoo is soothing when you compare it to the barn owl, which essentially sounds like someone screaming.
Owls are silent when hunting
In spite of their piercing calls, barn owls are also capable of being deathly quiet. This species relies on stealth when approaching predators, and when hunting they keep quiet, even their wing beats are hushed thanks to specialised feathers.
But not all their flights are silent, interestingly, males sometimes clap their wings together once or twice as part of a display flight.
Natural treasures in art
Barn owl on lookout, limited edition art print, Robert E Fuller
Understanding owl calls
Although barn owls are mainly known for calls that sound like they are screaming, they do actually have a repertoire of different noises. From the gentler, cooing sounds they make during courtship, to 'clacking' sounds they make when they feel threatened, there is a vocabulary beneath the noise. Sometimes known as 'purring' the sound barn owls make when courting has a soft, gentle tone. You hear males make this gentle sound when they invite a female to inspect a nest site. Believe it or not, the pitch of a barn owl's call, already high, can get even higher during the breeding season. The males' screeching reaches a searingly high pitch when trying to attract a mate - as can the female's tone when she wants her mate to bring her some food!
Owl fight sounds
During combat, owls are actually quiet. But they do make a lot of noise when warning other species off their territory. Watch the film above to hear the silent battle between my resident owls, Luna the tawny owl and Gylfie the barn owl, and compare it to the screeching Gylfie makes to warn Luna afterwards.
Beak clacks & hissing
But barn owls will clack their beaks towards a potential threat. Watch the video above to hear one resident owl, named Freya, clack at a stranger back in 2022. And when threatened they can sound more like they are hissing - a loud, 3-4 second hiss at intruders or predators that disturb the nest.How barn owl chicks sound Barn owl chicks actually make different sounds depending on the age of the chicks. Again, listen to the video above to hear how the pitch of an owl chick changes within just a few weeks.
Barn owl vocabulary
And so, although barn owls are mainly known for calls that sound like they are screaming, they do actually have a repertoire of different noises. From the gentler, cooing sounds they make during courtship, to 'clacking' sounds they make when they feel threatened, there is a vocabulary beneath the noise. Now you know a bit about the different meanings behind the calls, watch my video again to see if you can hear the differences. Then next time you are out and about and you hear a barn owl calling from above, hopefully you might understand better what they’re saying!
