Similar to other owl species, Long-eared Owls can fly completely silently due to fringes on their flight feathers. They use their favored habitat of dense wooded areas to prey on the small rodents and animals that call the nearby grasslands their home. These well-camouflaged, elusive owls are smaller than the aforementioned species. (Recording source: Baltasar Pinheiro, XC737794, The sound recording above is of the territorial song of a Long-eared Owl. These owls are present in Michigan all year round, and favor open areas and farmland as their hunting grounds. However, they can be readily identified by their characteristic screeching calls.Īnd if you do spot one flying overhead by the light of the moon, you may be able to see the glow of their white underside. Somewhat softer and less intense-looking than the Great Horned Owl, Barn Owls are characterized by their white coat of feathers, and their “friendlier” appearance.Īrmed with exceptional night vision, Barn Owls are strictly nocturnal raptors and therefore hard to spot. It is a screeching sound that is hard to miss. (Recording source: Jayrson De Oliveira, XC619814, The sound recording above is of the territorial song of an American Barn Owl. This owl is a fierce hunter, catching birds up to the size of ducks, and mammals up to the size of squirrels, rabbits, and even young foxes. It can be heard in Michigan year-round, and is found in a wide variety of habitats, from woodlands to urban areas. The Great Horned Owl doesn’t build its own nest, but instead occupies the nests of other large birds, such as herons or other raptors. It is almost entirely nocturnal, and can hunt in complete darkness by relying on its keen sense of hearing. In Michigan, this owl starts its nesting very early in the year, laying its eggs in January or February. It is a large brown-colored bird with two ear tufts (also called horns) and big yellow eyes. With a wingspan up to 4 feet, the Great Horned Owl is the largest owl species breeding in Michigan. (Recording source: Christopher McPherson, XC691461, The sound recording above is of the territorial song of a Great Horned Owl, which can be heard from both males and females. Now let’s dive in and listen to the calls and sounds of these owls: Great Horned Owl This is extremely helpful if you want to identify Michigan owls.Īnd while most of these owls are regular birds in Michigan, the last two species on the list are vagrants that only rarely occur in the state. What sounds do Michigan owls make?īelow we’ve uploaded the sounds of the 11 types of owls found in Michigan:īy learning to recognize their call, you can identify these owls even if it’s hard to see them in the dark of night. To help you identify the owl you heard, we’ll cover the most common owl sounds of Michigan in this article. Identifying owl calls in the Great Lake State is not as easy as it might seem, since there are many owls that regularly occur in Michigan. Comparing Mourning Dove Calls to Owl CallsĬlick on the name of the bird below to head to the corresponding Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Sounds Page, which is an excellent resource for learning bird calls.Did you recently hear an owl sound in Michigan, and want to know what species it was? The tendency for Mourning Doves to be committed to their partners and young can lead to some great wildlife-watching opportunities. They work in “shifts” and both watch over their young once born. They are very hands-on parents, as both the male and female will incubate the eggs. Some fun facts about these birds include the fact that they are monogamous and commonly mate for life. These particular birds are common to see eating seeds on the ground under bird feeders. In your yard, you’d likely see them perched high in a tree or on the ground searching for food. Mourning Doves are the only native dove in Florida.
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