You’re walking through a field at dusk. The light is that weird, grainy purple color where everything looks like a charcoal drawing. Suddenly, a pale shape drifts over the hedgerow. It’s silent. Ghostly. You expect a soft, rhythmic "hoo-hoo" because that’s what cartoons taught us, right? Instead, the air is shredded by a sound so violent and jagged it feels like someone is ripping a bedsheet right next to your ear. That’s a barn owl. Honestly, if you’re asking what sounds do barn owls make, the answer is basically "anything but a hoot."
They scream. They hiss. They click. They don't do the classic owl thing.
The Infamous "Schree" Scream
The primary sound you’ll hear is the advertisement call. It’s a long, drawn-out rasp. Scientists often describe it as a "shree." It’s basically the bird saying, "I’m here, this is my field, and I’m looking for a partner." It lasts about two seconds. It’s loud. It’s eerie. It’s probably the reason people in the Middle Ages thought their farms were haunted by banshees or demons.
Unlike the Great Horned Owl, which has that deep, resonant bass, the barn owl (Tyto alba) has a vocal tract that produces much higher frequencies. This isn't just a stylistic choice by nature. It’s functional. These screams cut through wind and distance. If you’re a male barn owl trying to find a mate in a sprawling valley, a low hoot might get lost in the trees. A high-pitched shriek carries.
You’ve probably heard this sound in movies without realizing it. Hollywood loves to layer barn owl screams over spooky scenes, even if the movie is set in a place where barn owls don't live. It’s the go-to "creepy night sound."
Why the Pitch Matters
Interestingly, researchers like Alexandre Roulin, who has spent decades studying these birds in Switzerland, have noted that the intensity and frequency of these calls can signal the health of the bird. A robust, long scream suggests a bird with high energy reserves. If you're a female owl, you're listening for the guy who sounds like he’s got the most stamina. It’s a high-stakes vocal audition.
The "Snoring" of the Young
If you ever find yourself near a hollow tree or an old barn and hear what sounds like a room full of people with severe sleep apnea, you’ve found a nest. Owlets don't chirrup. They snore.
It’s a persistent, wheezing hiss. It’s a food demand. "Feed me. Feed me now." They can do this for hours. It starts as a soft wheeze when they are tiny puffs of down and turns into a loud, grating rasp as they grow. When a parent arrives with a vole, the snoring peaks into a frantic chattering. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. It’s honestly kind of stressful to listen to if you’re nearby.
Defensive Hissing and Bill Snapping
Barn owls are masters of intimidation. They don't have the heavy-duty muscle of an eagle, so they rely on psychological warfare. If a predator—or a curious human—gets too close, the owl will spread its wings, sway its head, and let out a hiss that sounds exactly like a leaking steam pipe.
It’s a terrifying sound.
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Along with the hiss, they use "bill snapping." This isn't a vocalization. It’s a mechanical sound made by clicking the upper and lower mandibles together. Snap. Snap-snap. It’s sharp and percussive. In the dark, combined with the white, heart-shaped face staring at you, it’s enough to make almost anything turn around and walk the other way.
Subtle Chirrups and Purrs
It isn't all horror movie soundtracks, though. When barn owls are courting or interacting at the nest, they get much softer. They have a "twitter" or "chirrup" call. It’s almost melodic, or at least as melodic as a bird with a throat like sandpaper can get.
Males use a specific "purring" call when they’re trying to entice a female into a potential nesting site. It’s a series of quick, low-volume notes. It’s intimate. It’s the "hey, check out this cool hollow log" sound.
- The Screech: Long, harsh, loud. Used for territory and mating.
- The Snore: Constant, wheezing. Used by hungry babies.
- The Hiss: Defensive, scary. Used for protection.
- The Snap: A beak-click. Used as a warning.
- The Twitter: Soft, rapid. Used for "talking" to family.
Common Misconceptions
People often get barn owls confused with Barred Owls. If you hear someone asking "Who cooks for you?", that’s a Barred Owl. If you hear a deep, rhythmic "Hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo," that’s likely a Great Horned Owl. Barn owls are entirely different. They belong to the family Tytonidae, while almost all other owls you know belong to Strigidae. This evolutionary split happened millions of years ago, which explains why their "language" is so distinct.
Another thing: they don't scream while they fly toward prey. They are silent hunters. Their feathers have specialized serrated edges that break up air turbulence, allowing them to glide without a sound. If they screamed while hunting, the mice would hear them coming from a mile away. The vocalizations happen mostly when they are perched or during territorial flight.
Hearing Them in the Wild
If you want to hear these sounds for yourself, timing is everything. Barn owls are strictly nocturnal. Your best bet is about thirty minutes after sunset. Look for "rough" grassland—places where the grass isn't mowed and voles can thrive.
Don't use "playback" (playing owl sounds from your phone to get a response). It stresses the birds out. They think a rival has moved into their territory, and they’ll waste precious hunting energy trying to drive away a ghost. Just sit still and listen.
Honestly, once you hear that first "shree," you'll never mistake it for anything else. It’s one of the most raw, primitive sounds in nature. It reminds you that the night belongs to them, not us.
To truly understand the vocal range of a barn owl, you have to look at the environment they live in. In open country, sound behaves differently than in dense forests. The barn owl’s harsh calls are perfectly evolved for the wide-open spaces of marshes and moorlands. It's a specialized tool for a specialized predator.
Actionable Next Steps
If you think you have a barn owl nearby and want to identify the specific sound you heard, start by narrowing down the context.
- Check the time: If it’s broad daylight, you’re likely hearing a different bird or perhaps a fledgling hawk, which can also have a raspy scream.
- Observe the location: Are you near an old silo, a barn, or a large hollow tree? If you hear "snoring" coming from a height, you likely have a nest of owlets.
- Use a sound ID app: Apps like Merlin Bird ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are surprisingly good at picking up the "shree" of a barn owl, even if there’s background noise like wind or traffic.
- Install a nesting box: If you have the space and want to hear these sounds regularly (and don't mind the "snoring" at 2:00 AM), barn owls are very receptive to man-made boxes. This provides a safe place for them to breed and gives you a front-row seat to their unique acoustic world.