[Birdnet] Northern Hawk Owl

Tue Nov 13 15:30:57 MST 2007

Hi Tim and All,
Actually, I called the Saw-whet a long shot not because it's not  
common here, actually it's much more likely to be here in Utah as you  
correctly mentioned.  Rather, it just sounds less like the Hawk-owl  
than the Boreal does.  In other words, the Boreal is more likely to  
be confused with the hawk-owl than is the Saw-whet.  Sorry about the  
confusion.

I recorded both Boreal and Northern Hawk-owls briefly in Katmai NP  
this summer.  The hawk-owl only did brief sequences which lasted  
about the same length as a Boreal's sequences.  It would take a  
careful ear in the field at times to tell the difference, especially  
at a distance.  Either species would be a great find here in Utah so  
I suggested Connie check out the recordings and see if either might  
match her cabin bird.

Kevin

Kevin Colver
114 North Clark Lane
Elk Ridge, UT  84651

801-423-1810

colver at csolutions.net

On Nov 13, 2007, at 2:56 PM, Tim Avery wrote:

> Actually, Northern Saw-whet owl would be the most likely candidate,  
> and not a
> long shot. Saw-whets are a common breeder throughout the area in  
> question.  And
> in the spring that species is very vocal.  In terms of which  
> species sounds the
> most like a Hawk Owl there are several differences in the songs of  
> all the
> small owls species mentioned that are clearly different from Hawk  
> Owl, that may
> sound very similar to those not familiar with the sounds.  I would  
> have to
> respectfully disagree that Boreal Owl necessarily sounds more like  
> a Hawk Owl
> than a Saw-whet, as they both sound different in both tone and  
> speed, as well as
> number of notes.
>
> The Hawk Owl, a species I have not heard in the wild gives a rapid  
> succession of
> fast "to" notes, around 50 or so in less than 10 seconds.  It  
> really is a neat
> sound that you can hear here:
>
> http://www.hawkridge.org/audio/Northern%20Hawk%20Owl.mp3
>
> The tone of a Boreal and the speed is very similar to the Hawk Owl,  
> but Boreal
> Owl has more of a staccato feel to the song, starting and ending  
> not quite as
> loud as the middle.  This owl also sings in short bursts, I would  
> guess 12-18
> toots. to-to-to-too-too-tooo-tooo-tooo-too-too-too-too-to, with the  
> notes in
> the middle sounding the longest before fading out at the end.
>
> http://www.hawkridge.org/audio/Boreal%20Owl.mp3
>
> Saw-whet owls often stay on the same pitch at the same speed for  
> long periods of
> time, to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to-to...  
> etc.  Those who
> have heard saw-whets know that this can be quite variable however,  
> often
> ranging from short toots, separated by up to a second, to very  
> fast, several
> toots a second when alarmed.  Although I would say that this  
> species at its
> fastest, doens't match the speed of the song of a Hawk Owl, but is  
> much more
> similar in the respect of average tone, and the fact that their  
> typical song is
> longer than 15 fast notes, often tooting out several 100 notes  
> without any
> interruption.
>
> http://www.hawkridge.org/audio/Northern%20Saw-whet%20Owl.mp3
>
> Both Saw-whet and Boreal (in the same genus) have similar songs to  
> the Hawk-Owl,
> but both are quite unique and different if you study them.  Screech- 
> Owl which I
> mentioned yesterday as being similar, is typically found in  
> riparian corridors,
> and the area in question, I believe is all coniferous, so unless  
> the area had a
> ribbon of deciduous trees that would probably rule out WSOW.
>
> If you haven't been out owling, it is something worth trying, and  
> now is a great
> time for both Saw-whet and to try for Boreal Owl, especially in the  
> mountains
> between Bear Lake and Logan.
>
> Cheers
>
> Tim
> Salt Lake City, UT
> tanager at timaverybirding.com
> http://www.timaverybirding.com
> http://www.timavery.com
>
>
> Quoting Kevin Colver <colver at csolutions.net>:
>
>> You might check out the song of the Boreal Owl to see if it matches
>> the sounds you've heard at the cabin.  Northern Saw-whet Owl would be
>> a long shot but sounds less like the Hawk-owl than does Boreal.
>> Kevin
>>
>> Kevin Colver
>>
>>
>> colver at csolutions.net
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 12, 2007, at 9:14 PM, Connie McManus wrote:
>>
>>> I went to Cornell's All about Birds page and looked up this bird.
>>> As I listened to the recording of the sound this owl makes, it
>>> brought back memories of when I lived in Garden City (RIch
>>> County).  I owned a cabin in the mountains overlooking Bear Lake
>>> and would sit out on the deck spring evenings and hear this same or
>>> similar call.  I could have listened to it all night long and have
>>> always wondered what made it.  Judging from the fact that
>>> utahbirds.org doesn't even have Northern Hawk Owl in the bird
>>> guide, I have to assume this bird is very rarely seen this far
>>> south.  But, every spring that same call would sound through the
>>> forrest, always at night.  I'm still curious to know what kind of
>>> night bird makes a sound similar to the Norther Hawk Owl.  Anyone
>>> know?  I can't believe that every spring I was hearing a Northern
>>> Hawk Owl in Garden City, Utah. If so, maybe next spring someone
>>> should spend some time checking it out???
>>>
>>> --
>>> Connie McManus
>>> Nibley, Cache County, Utah
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Birdnet mailing list
>>> Birdnet at utahbirds.org
>>> http://utahbirds.org/mailman/listinfo/birdnet
>>
>>
>
>

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