Eastern Screech Owl Sounds: Learn their TWO haunting calls! (2024)

You are going to learn how to identify the CALLS, SOUNDS, and HOOTS of an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio).

Please make sure to "like" this ID video and SUBSCRIBE to @BirdWatchingHQ. Check out the LIVE bird and animal cameras streaming from my backyard.

These are the TWO common sounds that Eastern Screech-Owls make:

00:17 SOUND #1:
Their most common noise is an eerie, even-pitched trill, which is often called a tremolo. The tremolo is used by mated pairs during the breeding season to stay in contact.

Males and females are often heard singing this call back and forth, both day and night. This purring trill typically lasts between 3-5 seconds and contains about 35 notes.

00:49 SOUND #2:
The second sound that Eastern Screech-owls make is a shrill, descending whinny. The whinny is used to defend territories. It normally lasts between .5 to 2 seconds long.

Many people think this call is similar to the sound of a miniature horse! While it’s possible to hear these owls during the day, The BEST time to hear them calling is at night.

01:23 Many times, you will hear the tremolo (sound #1), and the whinny (sound #2) sang one after the other.

Credit for the recordings:
Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Recordists: Wil Hershberger

[itatane]

I first learned what Screech Owls sound like when I was camping out in the horse pasture at age 6. Unbeknownst to me, there was a little fellow in the branches of the Apple tree over my sleeping bag. He decided to introduce himself with a loud whinny just as I was dozing off. I discovered how to levitate...

[LorraineCyn]

There’s one singing outside right now. It’s about 2:30am. I’ve been hearing the calls lately every night. Beautiful. Greetings from Cross Junction, Virginia.

[tomtruitt]

I have heard odd low-pitched trilling sound from one of the trees in my back yard for the past 3 weeks from 2-3am. Many horror movies use eastern screech owl calls in the background sound. Glad to know this was a peaceful little bird & not some carnivorous beast. Thank you! lol

[HollyManslank]

I just heard this adorable little thing tonight! I was down near the back end of the property. It was pretty dark. I started to hear a VERY faint, descending trill. Just like sound #2: The Whinny in the video. It really wasn't loud at all! I was surprised to see 3 tiny owls perched up in the tree right above me. They we spread out from one another, but the closest was only about 5 feet above my head. They were all making this call back and forth with the others. Very, very softly. It was beautiful.

[Irish_I-never-got-caught]

I’ve had them coming to have their babies for almost 7 years now! The first week to ten days of June the little ones will be learning to fly but I use this call every year and you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve called them in right to me! I’ve got so many pictures with them, some on me and others a mere foot away! I absolutely love my owls 🦉 and look forward to this time every year! I’m in Michigan! I’ve noticed other birds especially Robins squawk loud at them and try to chase them off? I shoo the robins off as much as possible! Thank You 🙏🏼 for this video and call! It definitely gets them talking and moving.

[eqvwfcq]

My husband and I were watching the fireflies in amazement when we heard what sounded like a horse whinny and then watched your video and knew it was the screech owl! Thrilling! Owls are the best!

[kycxtjq]

I think two of these lads just woke me up! I didn't realize what the sounds were at first and it freaked me the heck out!

I know we've had screech owls around our neighborhood for years. I remember hearing them as a little girl and telling my mother I was hearing a horse's whinny in our suburban backyard at night. We even caught them fledging one evening a few years back. It's always nice to be reminded that they're still around. Even when they wake me up at 1AM.

Okay, back to bed. Thanks for the lovely video, it was helpful to confirm what I heard. Goodnight, y'all <3

[danielrosales]

One leaves just outside our house on a dead tree I was about to cut down. Now I won’t, I enjoy the late evening miniature horse like sound. So peculiar and makes me feel we are doing something god on our naturalist like farm in Selma NC. Despite having 3 dogs 2 cats 6 peacocks and countless chickens. The kids running and making noises, yet we are fortunate to love nature!

[janicehammersmith]

Listening to one right now as we sit in our screened porch at 9:43 pm

[micheleyosto]

Every night this time of year. There is one, maybe two living in the trees in our yard. It makes me so happy to hear them. I love owls (and all birds).

[vampsith]

Florida man here, these are some of the most comforting sounds ever

[lauragovernali]

One of my favorite sounds in the world is the whinny of the eastern screech owl ♥️
Here in Michigan, I hear them most often in the gloaming just before dark.

[jenniferlyngdoh]

I first heard the sound about a month ago from my room. Having never heard it before, I thought it was made by someone. Then I heard a louder call. When I stepped out on the verandah, I heard another clear and loud call coming from my plum tree. I then saw this small silhouette of the bird. I'm now hearing it more often. It's a joy to hear them. I'm from Shillong, in the Northeast of India.

[timmotel]

I heard one for the first time the night before last. I hadn't thought about these Owl's since I was a kid, and I'm 71 years old now. Thank You

[elizabethfey]

My son and I were just walking through a dark wooded area near our house and we heard a horse like animal sound. It was getting closer and we couldn't see anything on the ground with our flashlights. We now know that it was an Eastern screech owl flying above our heads. Thank you for making the video of the two types of sound these amazing creatures make. ❤️

[MsSylkoZakur]

I don’t know why these are called screech owls when barn owls do nothing but screech.

[SempyRR]

I've had one living in a nesting box for a few months now. I heard a different sound other than these that I knew of. I wanted to refresh my memory so I played this video. I started hearing the owl sing back to me. Then it was singing closer and closer. I turn around and look and it was just about 15 feet behind me on a wire. Coolest thing I've seen in a while

[simplerConsultant]

Just had one in front of my house first time ever! My dog was going crazy. It was beautiful

[seantonnesen]

I built an Owl box for my backyard last year, and we have a Screech Owl in residence this year. I play this recording and she pops her head out and answers the calls just like the recording. We live in North Georgia. Thanks for the video

[jonathansuggitt]

These birds are so precious. We used to hear them all the time back in our old home in the mountains. Hearing their calls late at night or early in the morning was always oddly calming. We don’t hear them much now in the suburbs, but they do occasionally come around. Thanks for sharing this video.