Not All Hoots Are The Same

     Although we all know owls hoot, not all hoots are the same. For one thing, only two owl species actually "hoot": the Great Horned Owl and the Hoot Owl. Hear the Great Horned Owl Here . Other owl species have their own distinctive calls that can be described as screaming, screeching, or other word-like sounds, like "who cooks for you" and "co co co co".   One owl, the Burrowing Owl, even makes a sound like a rattlesnake and the Barred Owl can makes sounds like a monkey. 

     There are about 200 species of owls in the world and each have their own distinctive calls. Owls use their voices to communicate for many reasons, but primarily to claim their territory and attract mates,  and some owls are more vocal than others.  However, when threatened or angry, all owls make snapping sounds with their beaks, click their tongues, and hiss, even owlets. listen - angry owlet

     You can hear most owls' calls when they are most active at dusk and during the night. Other species can be heard at dawn and during the day; examples are Snowy Owls, Pygmy Owls, and Short-Eared Owls.  For most owl species, you can hear them anytime of the year, but the best time is during the mating season which is generally from November through February or March.

     With the exception of the Barn Owl, the male's call is usually deeper than that of the female's. In the Barn Owl world, the more vocal and loudest is the male who makes chilling long lasting screams  repeatedly while flying.

                                    Watch this video for more owl call samples:

  
For additional samples, visit Sunlight and the Seasons- Listen to Owls: Audio Clips and The Owl Pages - Owl Calls & Sounds Page 

It's obvious owls have a lot to say; just look at these chatty owl themed gift products:  

Owl Mug with 'This Belongs To The Wise One' text by topstuff
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Watercolor Barn Owl No such thing too many Owls T-shirts by countrymousestudio
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Motivational Quote Attitude is Everything with Owl Refrigerator Magnet by countrymousestudio
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Wise Vintage Owls: Customize with your own quote Kindle Cases by JoleeCouture
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Don't forget to be awesome quote owl poster by logotees
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Owl, Respect the Earth Native American Quote T-shirts by countrymousestudio
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Great Horned Owl with Quote Postcard by gramabarb
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Cute Owls Kids Wrist Watch by awhimsicalworld
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Childrens Owl Tshirt Owl Try To Be Good by cateresa
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Choose to respect knowledge...motivational poster by inFinnite
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Cute Owl with Bees "look who's here" Tee Shirt by awhimsicalworld
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Owl Family Tree and Quote iPhone 5 Cases by KaleenaRae
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Umm.... What shall we talk about next time? :)

The Owl's' Silent Flight

     There's much mystique surrounding owls and one of them is their unique ability to sneak up on their prey while in flight.  When other birds fly, their flapping wings create turbulence (air gushing over the surface of the wings) which emits a noise, thereby, giving warning of their coming. Owls, on the other hand, have a special wing design and other body characteristics that gives them the ability to fly in complete silence. 

     For starters, the owl's broad wings helps it glide in the air without having to flap too often. When they do need to flap, their unique wing design reduces the noise made by turbulence.  They are able to do that, in part, by their primary feathers which are serrated, or comb-like, that breaks down the turbulence into smaller air currents. These primary serrated feathers are called 'fimbriae' or 'flutings'.  The edge of these feathers are also softer, allowing more air to pass through which further reduce the noise. There is some speculation that these soft feathers may also shift the sound energy to a frequency beyond the hearing of prey and humans. Furthermore, the down-like feathers on the owl's legs serves as noise reduction.

      These intriguing characteristics of the owl's silent flight have captured the attention of scientists who are now working on developing a quieter aircraft.


                                                               Learn more in this video:

   Then enjoy owls in fight with these unique designed gift products:

Eagle Owl In Flight Postcards by wildlifecollection
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Snowy Owl in Flight on Lavender Background Throw Pillows by BuckHawkBirdNest
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A Barn Owl in flight Poster by aquartistic
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Disney Winnie The Pooh Wise Owl Coffee Mugs by disney
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Owl Large Messenger Bag by ErikaKai
Browse Owl Messenger Bags

Owl in flight tee shirts by Peninink
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Brown Owls in Flight Shirt by Memory_Lane
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Owl in flight bumper sticker by Peninink
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WHITE OWL IN FLIGHT CARD by Yongsin05
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Adult Barn Owl in Flight Plates by corbisimages
Look at another Plate

Irish Owls

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and this is a good time to talk about owls. No, owls are not green and they won't lead you to a pot of gold, but they can lead you to the country - Ireland.
           
There are three owl species that call Ireland their home, so we'll call them the Irish owls.

The most common species is the Long Eared Owl. The name derives from its long ear tufts on top of it's head. They raise these tufts when on alert, and lower them when relaxed. They have spotted brown and black feathers and their eyes are bright orange. They live near open grasslands in woodlands and hunt small animals. They use abandoned crow and other birds nests and lay between 3 to 5 eggs anywhere from late March to the end of August. 

The Long Eared Owl is not currently considered as threatened, however, there are concerns that this may happen in the near future with the continual loss of habitats, use of pesticides, and  other environmental factors.

USA, Colorado. Portrait of long-eared owl Posters by danitadelimont

Another well known owl species in Ireland is the Barn Owl. This species is the most threatened of the Irish owls. However, due to recent aggressive conservation efforts, these bird's numbers are on the rise (See posting 'Owls in the News' here).  

The Barn Owl inhabits mostly farmland and low lying areas. They are well known for nesting in old barns and other man made structures, and, therefore, are closer to proximity with humans. As such, these birds are very willing to nest in boxes made especially for them. 

The Barn Owl have light or tan plumage with a white underbelly. They have no ear tufts and have a round head with a heart shaped face.  These birds have longer legs then other owl species. 

One special characteristic of the Barn Owl is that it mates for life. The female lay 4 to 7 eggs between

April and May. They hunt not only small mammals, but other birds and even insects. 

White Barn Owl Poster by WildlifeAnimals

Then there is the Short-Eared Owl. This owl species is not as common as the Long-Eared Owl.  It is more widely seen in winter where they can be sighted in grasslands, marshes, and dunes. In the summer, they prefer to frequent the heather moorlands. The Short-Eared Owl resembles much like its cousin, the Long-Eared Owl, except for the smaller ear tufts.

The Short-Eared Owl breed mainly in Ireland's Sileve Bloom mountain area and nest on the ground. Unlike the other two Irish owls, this bird hunts mostly during the day. Their prey are the usual mice, small mammals, as well as the occasional birds and insects.

Short-eared Owl on fence post Print by danitadelimont

And since St. Patrick's Day is near, here are some fun owl themed St. Patrick's Day products:

St. Patrick's Day Irish Girl Owl T Shirt by Hoot_Hoot
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St. Patrick's Owl Card by i_17bingo
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St. Patrick's Day Owl Party Plate by cutencomfy
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St. Patrick’s Day Owl Tee Shirt by Punk_Your_Party
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St. Patrick's Day Owls Cloth Napkin by gifts4thehome
See another Napkin at Zazzle

Happy St. Patrick's Day Owl Cake Picks by DesignsbyDonnaSiggy
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leprechowl for St. Patty's Day Party Favor Box by just_owls
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Happy St. Patrick Day's Green Owl! Baby Creeper by DesignsbyDonnaSiggy
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Irish Owl Pinback Button by graphicdesign
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Owls Making the News

   The Snowy Owl invasion is just about over and now other owl species are making headlines.

   The first news headline from the U.K is a happy one. Apparently, the numbers of Barn Owls in the United Kingdom the past few years have been drastically declining. In response to that, the Essex Wildlife Trust started a conservation program in 2013 with volunteers helping to restore the hunting and habitat of the birds.  The program consisted of installing nest boxes in trees, barns, and other buildings. As a result, 2014 saw a large "baby boom" of the these owls. It is hoped that as more landowners and corporations join in the force, the Barn Owl population will continue to grow in 2015.  I say, hoot ray! for the UK.

   Now,  for the second headline. In a Salem, Oregon state park, a Barred Owl is attacking joggers. Yes, it is attacking unsuspected early morning and late night joggers, and even, in at least one incidence, stealing their hat! No one was seriously hurt, though one man was reported to say that the owl hit him so hard a couple of times, he though he was going be. It has become such a frequent occurrence that the park officials had decided to put up warning signs.

   So what's up this Barred Owl? According to bird authorities, it is currently the mating and breeding season and this owl species is known to become aggressive at this time. In other words, the owl thinks it's defending its territory from human threat. The breeding season typically ends in late spring. In the meanwhile, joggers are advised to wear helmets.

 Other Barn and Barred Owls making 'headlines' at Zazzle.com: 

Handsome Barn Owl Mug by PattiJAdkins
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Barred Owl Pillow by Lois Bryan by LoisBryan
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Watercolor Barn Owl Security Business Business Card by countrymousestudio
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Barred owl 4 card by nationalwildlife
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barn owl t-shirt by dimdidesign
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Wild Barred Owl Photograph iPhone 5 Case by pjwuebker
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Cute little Barn Owl fantasy Throw by laureenr
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Barred Owl Mesh Hats by kphotos
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TCWC - Barn Owl Vintage Jigsaw Puzzle by PAWSPartners
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Audubon Plate 46 Barred Owl Tag For Bags by AudubonPrints
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Owl Be Funny

You got to admit it, owls can be so funny! Being that their eyes are stationary and they can't lower them, roll them, or raise their eyebrows, I take it that they just need to use extra effort to convey their mood, which, to us, makes for exaggerated and comical expressions. Take a look at this laughing owl and see if he doesn't bring a giggle or two out of  you. 

And take a look at these featured funny owl expression products: 

Australian Barking Owl Portrait Postcards by cbphoto
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Bubo bubo sibiricus mousepad by EMangl
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Shaggy owl big eyed wildlife tee shirts by OwlJayO
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Funny,Owl, Owly Attitude Coffee Mug by countrymousestudio
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Grumpy Owl Tie Neck Tie by BadEnglishCat
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Funny Sleepy Owl Quote Shirt by ShabzDesigns
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Barn Owl for Kids! Tshirts by Signe_Nordin
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Night owl case for kindle by igorsin
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Owl Always Love You

You probably heard the catch phrase "Owl always love you", especially around Valentine's Day, but did you know that this phrase is close to the truth when it comes to owls?.  Some owl species do mate for life.  The most well known are: Barn Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, and Spotted Owl. 

You can say these monogamy owl species really do have families, being that they are affectionate and look out for each other, as well as, share in the daily tasks, such as babysitting and feeding their young.  

Some, like the Barn Owl, are so emotionally attached to their mate that when the mate dies, they themselves soon die of a broken heart. They literally mope and stop eating. 

On the other hand, other owl species, like the Snowy Owl, have an roving eye and  have different mates each season. The male Snowy Owl may even mate with two females simultaneously, with the nests close by to each other.  Now how do you like that! 

As for the Tawny Owl... This owl is mostly monogamous, but some males prefer two.  Ummm, sounds familiar, uh? 

Well, with Valentine's Day coming up, lets just think about the faithful ones and check out these unique and awesome owl valentine gifts. You just might find the perfect one for that special someone. 

owl always love you coffee mug by Funcards

Be my valentine owls greeting cards by IronicOwl

Pink Owl Couple with Pun T-shirts by DandyDoodads

Owl with Mustache Valentine's Day Cards by cutencomfy

Owls in Love - Valentine's Day Candy Tin by SharonKMoore

Valentine's Day Owl 45 Piece Assorted Chocolate Box by Country1969

Owls Happy Valentines Day Candy Tins by valentines_store

Owl Love III Keepsake Box by thedustyphoenix

Elegant modern cute owl yelow blue / add name lovers mugs by Makidzona