Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 64
W
Owl Winter
INTER is the season of owls. Longer nights provide them more hours for
activity. And the often still and silent winter provides additional chances to
hear owls' spooky calling.
In winter, Pennsylvanians can see or hear eight different owls. Barn owls, great
horned owls, eastern screech owls, barred owls, long-eared owls and northern sawwhet owls are permanent residents in the Keystone State.
Short-eared owls visit in winter, and snowy owls may drift
south from their cold northern realms.
Owls have distinctive vocalizations that serve
varied purposes. Owls call to proclaim territories and
attract members of the opposite sex. Great horned
owls - the classic "hoot owls" - establish breeding
territories as early as October and November.
Males and females sound out three to eight (often
five) deep, booming hoots: hoo-hoohoo hoo hoo.
The most vocal of our owls is the barred owl,
somewhat smaller than the great horned. Its hooting is
more ornate and varied, and not as deep or booming.
Barred owls are masters at barking, with their distinctive hoohoo-hoohoo . . . hoo-hoohoohooawww cutting through the winter night, seeming to ask "Who cooks for you,
who cooks for you all?"
Barred owls live in mature forests where trees are old and large enough to develop
the cavities in which these owls nest. Barred owls are thriving these days, and often
can be heard in towns and older suburban neighborhoods.
Scott Weidensaul's book, Owls of North America and the Caribbean, provides
a lot of information on owls, including their vocalizing. He notes that barred owls
"perform intricate vocal duets, creating layers of hooting and caterwauling, an
activity most often associated with territorial defense." He singles out one component
of these duets as "easily the most alarming" of all barred owl calls: "the 'gurgle' call,
a raucous, maniacal laugh that can go on for minutes."
Screech owls have an eerie trilling call, and also a whinny - a slurred, descending
trill used during courtship and to keep broods together after owlets leave the nest.
Another winter call to listen for is the mellow whistle of the saw-whet owl, a too,
too, too vocalization given between 100 and 130 times per minute.
Do yourself a favor and get out at night this winter. Keep your ears open and let
owl calls warm your soul while the frost chills your toes.
Chuck Fergus
64
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018
Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Intro
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 2
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 3
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 7
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 10
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 14
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 16
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 19
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 22
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 26
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 28
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 31
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 32
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 34
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 39
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 41
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 42
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 43
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 44
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Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 53
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 54
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 55
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 56
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 57
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 58
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 59
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 61
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 62
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - 64
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2018 - Cover4
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