Owls make a variety of loud, continuous sounds, including hoots, barks, whistles, coos, and cries. The most common sound associated with owls is their hooting, which is deep and soft and used to claim territory and call for mates. However, their other noises are typically more high pitched and sound like singing or cooing. The sounds that owls make can vary depending on the species. Here are some examples of owl sounds from different species:

• Eastern Screech-Owl: Their main call is a rather high-pitched "coo cooooo," made by the male as he woos a mate and defends a territory.

• Barred Owl: Their call is often described as "Who cooks for YOU? Who cooks for YOU all?" Sometimes when a pair begins to duet, this devolves into a raucous jumble of cackles, hoots, caws, and gurgles.

• Great Horned Owl: This is the quintessential hooting owl of the United States, found throughout North America and in much of South America as well. They make a deep, resonant hoot that sounds like "hoo-hoo-hoo hooooo".

• Barn Owl: They emit a bloodcurdling shriek that almost sounds like a classic horror movie scream. They use variations of this scream call both to communicate with each other and to warn away predators.

Because owls typically claim territories and find mates during the winter, the best time to hear them can be in January and February, but its possible to hear owl sounds year-round. Listen for them at dawn and dusk, when their active periods briefly overlap with ours. Just be sure to keep your distance and be respectful if youre lucky enough to find one, as owls can be sensitive to disturbance by curious humans.