On a crisp Missouri night, take a walk in the woods and listen for the sultry calls of courting owls.
Long-entwined in human history and folklore, science has stripped away superstitions that once connected these birds to witchcraft and death. Instead, we now recognize the unique role they play in controlling populations of mice, rats, and snakes.
Armed with sharp talons and powerful beaks, these nocturnal predators have three-dimensional night-vision and a keen sense of hearing. A barn owl can locate its prey with pinpoint accuracy, in total darkness, using its sense of sound alone.
Serrated-edge feathers on the front of their wings make their flight stealthily silent. However, in winter, you can often hear Missouri’s owls before you see them, as they call for mates from their treetop perches.
Listen for the ‘who-cooks-for-you’ hooting of a barred owl; the rare and raspy call of a snowy owl; the deep, muffled stuttering of a great horned owl; or the chilling scream of an endangered barn owl.
Learn more about Missouri’s owls, and listen to their courting calls at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide.
Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.