Having just closed the Jeep door, my eyes hadn’t yet adjusted the inky indigo darkness of a
March night. There is just enough moon to illuminate the snow with an odd bluish glow. Quickly,
the cold weaves its way through my jacket, and lays against my skin, sending a shudder from
head to toe. Turning on the headlamp, I send a tunnel of light through the darkness. Within a
couple of minutes, the resonant hoots of a Great Horned Owl glide in the night air. The owl is
perched on the limb of a Douglas-fir, hunkered down against the trunk.
Owling is an entirely different kind of birding. It is mostly an auditory activity. You will rarely see
an owl, but you will hear it. The first step in owling is to become familiar with the owl calls of the
region. There are many audio products that feature the calls and songs of the birds of the West
and Northern Rockies. Just sit down with the CD or tape, close your eyes, and concentrate on the
patternings of the calls. It might also be helpful to write down the calls phonetically as a study aid.
Another useful method is to learn how to produce the calls yourself by whistling or hooting,
depending on the type of owl call you are learning.
As most owls in the Northern Rockies begin their courtship in late winter or early spring, it is
important that you dress appropriately for the cold conditions. When you are owling, you often
stand still for long periods and this results in very cold toes and fingers. Wear boots that are rated
for extreme cold and use gloves that have both a liner and shell. Long underwear is a must for
owling, and it is very helpful to layer your clothing. Since we lose a good deal of heat through our
heads, it is important to wear a hat to adequately insulate your head. Other equipment needed for
owling includes a good headlamp or flashlight. I prefer a headlamp because the beam of light is
always where your eyes are focusing. You will use the light source mostly to find your way around
and to occasionally catch the eyeshine of an owl. If you are comfortable with the dark and there is
some moonlight, it may be better to go without an artificial light source.
When you start out, let your eyes adjust to the night for several minutes or so. Many owlers carry
tape players with them, in order to play tapes of owls calling. This will causes the owls to respond
in kind. The most important piece of equipment, however, is your ears. The calls of owls can be
rather soft and muted, and they do not carry well over long distances. It is often helpful to cup
your hands around your ears like a radar dish. This focuses more of the sound into the your ears,
a low-tech amplifier. It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the location of the owl from its call. So,
you can triangulate the call by listening at one spot and then moving over several yards to listen
again. Once you have found the owl, give the appropriate call or mimic a rodent/rabbit distress
call. The owl will usually either respond or move closer to investigate.
If you are lucky enough to see the owl, there are several key identification points to note:
The owl’s habitat
Ear tufts or not
Eye and bill color
Plumage and other markings
The size of the owl
One of best ways to see a well-camouflaged owl is shine your light toward the owl’s general
direction. The light will cause an eyeshine if it hits the owl’s eyes.
The best time to begin owling is usually just several minutes after sundown. This period of activity
lasts for a couple of hours.
Due to their nocturnal nature and large, wise-looking eyes, owls have always held a special place
in the hearts and minds of humankind. Owls have also had a place in the mythology of people
throughout the ages. The ancient Greeks believed that the goddess of wisdom, Athene, had
favored the owl over all other feathered creatures. Many Native American tribes assigned special
values of wisdom and prophecy to the owl. The Apache believed that the owl was an indication of
an impending death. The Hidatsa thought that the Burrowing Owl was a protective spirit for the
warriors of the tribe. The owls of many nursery rhymes and fables are embodiments of wisdom—
the owl instructs the main characters on the proper path to take.
Another group of nocturnal birds is the nightjars, and, notably in the Northern Rockies, the
Common Nighthawk and Common Poorwill. Both of these flying predators are voracious
consumers of insects. They have wide, gaping mouths surrounded by bristles, which may help
funnel insects into the open mouth. They come out with the setting sun, and they can be seen
and heard high above. The Common Nighthawk gives an incredibly booming sound when
courting. It is often seen during the daylight hours, especially when the weather is heavily
overcast. The Common Poorwill is very elusive; very few people ever see them. The most usual
way to see this nightjar is to see the red eyeshine of the flying Common Poorwill in front of your
headlights.
Out in the inky night, owls and nightjars rule the skies, along with bats. They are objects of
fascination as they thrive at a time of day that often terrifies human beings. If we overcome our
fears and venture out into the darkness, we can be rewarded with seeing the most elusive of
birds in the Northern Rockies.
The Calls of the Owls of the Northern Rockies
Barn Owl: Drawn-out raspy screech
Flammulated Owl: Soft single or double “boot”
Western Screech-owl: Muted trill “hoo-hoo-hoo”
Eastern Screech-owl: Eerie, mellow trill
Great Horned Owl: Resonant “hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo”
Barred Owl: “Who, cooks, for-you? Who, cooks, for-you, all?”
Great Gray Owl: Low “whooo-ooo-ooo”
Northern Pygmy Owl: Whistled “too-too-too-too”
Boreal Owl: Snipe-like winnow
Northern Saw-whet Owl: Monotonous, whistled “hoop”
Long-eared Owl: Low “hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo”
Short-eared Owl: Pulsing “voo-hoo-hoo”
Northern Hawk-owl: Whistlelike “ululululululu”
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