Last updated on April 30th, 2022 at 12:38 am
Owls are nearly always considered nocturnal, so what does it mean if you hear hooting during the day? Is it normal for some owls to be awake during the day?
It‘s normal to hear an owl during the day if you live in a region where diurnal owls are active. The Northern Hawk Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Snowy Owl, and Burrowing Owl are all examples of birds that are diurnal, or awake during the day.
Why Am I Hearing an Owl During the Day?
Some owls are diurnal, meaning that they’re awake during the day and sleep at night.
Additionally, some nocturnal owls will wake up in the daytime on occasion.
Whether an owl is awake during the day or at night has a lot to do with prey availability.
Owls and other birds that hunt songbirds are more likely to be awake during the day because this is when songbirds are most active.
Owls that are awake during the day don’t need the same advantages that nocturnal owls have in terms of vision and hearing.
Which Owls Are Awake During the Day?
Owls that are awake during the day include:
- Northern Hawk Owl
- Northern Pygmy-Owl
- Snowy Owl
- Burrowing Owl
If you hear or see an owl awake during the day, it might be one of these species.
Northern Hawk Owl
The Northern Hawk Owl is mostly active during the day, but they are sometimes active at night.
You can spot these owls perched high in trees looking over the ground and watching for prey, or they are flying low over the ground in pursuit of prey.
Typically, they live in marshy areas and forests with spruce trees that aren’t too densely packed.
The Northern Hawk Owl’s most distinctive sound is a whistling “ululululululul,” which is a sound that lasts about 14 seconds.
Males will sing this song to attract a mate, and while female Northern Hawk Owls have a similar song, it’s shorter and hoarser.
Additionally, both males and females will also let out a harsh screech followed by a “kip” sound when alarmed.
The Northern Hawk Owl lives across Northern Canada and Alaska year-round, not migrating but occasionally shifting breeding range in pursuit of food.
Northern Pygmy Owl
The Northern Pygmy Owl is a small bird, but it’s also a predator that hunts songbirds.
Because of this, they need to be awake during the day if they want to catch prey.
Typically, they’ll sit quietly on a perch watching for prey, then surprise them.
Songbirds defend against Northern Pygmy Owls by swarming them when they see them perched in wait.
Northern Pygmy Owls are unlikely to use man-made nest boxes but will nest in tree cavities. Usually, they rely on the tree cavities created by woodpeckers.
If you spot a tree cavity lined with feathers, moss, leaves, or wood chips, there could be a Northern Pygmy-Owl using it as a nesting spot.
You can recognize a Northern Pygmy Owl’s call by the pattern of high toots spaced 1-2 seconds apart.
Sometimes, you’ll hear a male and female pair singing together in a duet.
Their song is often preceded by a high-pitched, rapid trill.
You’ll find Northern Pygmy Owls living in forested areas in the western part of North America, spending winters at lower elevations, and traveling upward in the spring.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owls spend their summers north of the Arctic Circle, where there is 24-hour sunlight.
They then spend the rest of the year in Canada, the northern and western parts of the United States, and part of Mexico.
They’re most commonly spotted in New York and New England during the wintertime.
Snowy Owls live in fields, other open areas, and shorelines. They’re sometimes easy to spot because they like to perch in open areas.
If you want to catch a glimpse of a Snowy Owl, keep a lookout at high points like telephone poles, fence posts, trees, and buildings.
Male Snowy Owls are pure white, whereas female Snowy Owls are more heavily barred with brown.
Both have rounded heads and big yellow eyes.
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owls are less common but can be found in the western half of the United States, Florida, Mexico, and part of Canada during the breeding season.
They’re considered endangered and threatened in different areas, largely due to habitat loss, collisions with cars, and loss of prey populations.
As their name suggests, Burrowing Owls live in burrows in the ground in the open country.
They are active by day and have been called “howdy birds” in the past because they seem to nod at visitors who pass by their burrows.
The Burrowing Owl hunts at all times of day but tends to be especially active during the day during the breeding season.
In the spring and summer, you can spot a Burrowing Owl hunting by swooping down from a high point and hovering over an open area or running along the ground in pursuit of prey.
Active Night Owls
Most owls are nocturnal, meaning that they are awake and active at night.
For example, common owls the Great Horned Owl and the Barn Owl are both nocturnal.
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl lives in practically every habitat in North America, from the desert to swamps to the coniferous forest to streamsides.
It’s found in essentially every region of the continent and is a very common owl to see and hear at night.
This largest of the tufted owls can also be found as far south as South America.
You can recognize these owls by their big yellow eyes, ear tufts, and brown barred plumage.
The Great Horned Owl has a classic, easily recognizable hooting call and a barking call used as an alarm noise.
Barn Owl
Barn Owls live in woodlands, farms, open country areas, and cities, as long as there are good foraging areas nearby.
They can be found in most of the United States but are most common along the coasts, including all of California and Oregon.
They can also be found in Central America.
Barn Owls make a clicking, tinkling call, as well as hissing notes, screams, and guttural grunts. They may also snap their bills to make noise.