Great horned owls mating calls

During courtship in late fall or early winter, the male attracts the attention of his mate by hooting emphatically while leaning over (with the tail folded or cocked) and puffing up his white throat to look like a ball. The white throat may serve as a visual stimuli in the low light conditions typical of when this owl courts. He often flies up and down on a perch, while approaching the potential mate. Eventually, he comes to approach the female and tries to rub his bill against hers while repeatedly bowing. If receptive, the female hoots back when the pair meet but is more subdued in both her hoot and display. The male may convince the female by bringing her freshly caught prey, which they will share. While males often hoot emphatically for about a month or six weeks towards the end of the year, the period where females also hoot is usually only a week to ten days. Pairs typically breed together year after year and may mate for life, although they associate with each other more loosely when their young become mostly independent. Pairs rekindling their reproductive relationship in the winter may perform a milder courtship to strengthen pair bonds before producing young.
Males select nesting sites and bring the females' attention to them by flying to them and then stomping on them. Nests with open access, considering this birds large size, as opposed to enclosed with surrounding branches, are preferred. Like all owls, great horned owls do not build their own nest."

[@mikemalo6336]

That owl took a dump like a trucker spitting tobacco

[@MattAndImprov]

Yeah, they buried the lede when they titled this one.

[@marjoriekneece4956]

LOL. So funny. Was not prepared for that and cannot get it out of my head. Could have gone my whole life without seeing that. But you are so right!

[@toddj001]

😂

[@Rep0007]

Lots of these birds talking at night in the woods here in Massachusetts. Hoot -- oo oo oo - hoo - hoo. 1, 3, 2 same pattern every time.

[@ysph]

this isn't their mating call. it sounds crazy like.. man i can't even think of anything it compares to. that's what i came here for. to circumvent describing it. it's so crazy.. lol it sounds like a human noise somewhat. you can't believe an animal is doing it at first. it's funny kind of similar to the way a cat in heat sounds. before the people here told me what it was, i was imagining some kind of giant frog beast or something. it's a real crazy sound. i've heard a heron make a noise that is roughly similar but that's a stretch.

[@RandomVideos2]

are you sure you weren't hearing Barred Owls? they sound really crazy like that

[@angelalbarran5541]

i’ve just heard one crazy a couple minutes ago so i came to search it, doesn’t sound like the video at all

[@nicholasparry6859]

Had them doing strange noises the other night. Acting like nutjobs. Pretty sure they are mating here in Idaho around this time (November) kept me up all night 😂

[@cutechristaandfishyjay8955]

EW GROSS SHE POOOOOOOOPED! If that doesn't turn him on nothing will!

[@zionsimanian9310]

I attend UCSC and it’s currently 3:46AM and I’m hearing these exact same calls. So cool 🙏 thanks for the vid

[@lousiannegirlatheart]

I hear one or two of these amazing creatures each morning from about 3 am till 5. Just now I heard something really interesting I think I heard them fighting it mating or hunting. So very cool! Crows were my favorite birds, now we have a tie!

[@Hoi_im_Tem]

​@lousiannegirlatheart you guys clearly don't have these birds leaving giant scratch marks on your dog. Cool right?

[@juliok5982]

The way it totally stares him down is so cool

[@burg3511]

I hear one right outside my window and it's definitely this

[@herhomemakingheart]

Low-key upset I can't own one 🥺

[@PleiadianSister]

Just heard a pair talking to each other right above my house on Vancouver island British Columbia. I literally have never heard this owl call ever and have lived here my whole life. I normally hear barred owls very regularly with their crazy monkey sounds or rarely western screech owl. Very cool. Thanks for the video to help me ID them!

[@kyzmaztic]

Thier posture when hooting makes me think of Prarie chickens. Very beautiful birds.

[@Blissfulsolitude]

Stolas when blitzø :

[@josephbernard5240]

Huzzah, a person of culture I see!

[@Blissfulsolitude]

@@josephbernard5240 yup

[@CruisinBen]

That poop startled me even though I knew it was coming

[@CharismaticPlanet3822]

That is fabulous mating call. Lovely capture.

[@WilliamClark-xn5qw]

Okay that was a lot of shit

[@michelj.gaudet5048]

And the competition is fierce, top owl taking exception to bottom owl. Oh, LOOK! Top owl is turning his back on bottom owl and_ Oh My Gosh. Top owl REALLY is showing his contempt!!! Ewwww. But no worries - he missed! WAIT A MOMENT THERE. It seems bottom owl is actually a girl owl. Oh - - - never mind.
Have a good day!✨🤗✨

[@timc2745]

This is just a conversation. Mating sounds like kids playing from far away. They closer you get easier to hear like almost screech/squaks close to somone getting hurt. Which im sure it is, if you ever seen how they do it.

[@mayonnaiseeee]

that was a nice poo, also it's very comforting to see their frogthroats go in and out lol

[@kadonshepherd]

I hear them in the trees in Indiana

[@throttlebuff]

Jesus .. 20 seconds in. . Edit the shit

[@kathystewart3994]

Amó a los búhos 🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉❤❤❤

[@diesel961]

Just woke up at 5 am to this sound, for some reason i be was scared then totally amazed by nature.

[@Mrspecter007]

I believe thats what o hears righr outsode my house. 3 hoots it is.

[@ZachDrake5960]

I heard they also use that call to assert their territory.

[@maryillinski3487]

Beautiful Owls

[@SRocco-dv8we]

Not feeling it ! Lol eating dinner 🥘…..or I WAS 😮

[@kathystewart3994]

🤗🤗😘❤🦉🦉❤

[@JAKEYT1.0]

I heard one hoot like a gorilla this night 💀

[@kingtut8381]

EXCELLENT

[@pickledpancakes]

Hear one of these right outside my window at night, so loud 😂