[Silvershark]

A few months ago I heard a strange bird call from what I think was from the roof of one of the houses nearby. Listening to my garden bird CD, it sounded exactly like the "Keewick" of a Tawny Owl, but as of yet I have never heard the hooting that is a lot more familiar to me from when I have been in areas with Tawny Owls in the past (Sometimes I think I hear the hoot but I can never be sure if it's the wind or just me making it up completely!).

Since then I have heard another call again in the middle of the night, but listening to bird calls it sounds like a little owl! The little owl call on my bird calls CD sounds a bit like the mystery caller, but the Tawny is a better match although on the CD the frequency of the calling matched the Little Owl better.

I'm getting confused about what is out there at night, whether Little Owl, Tawny Owl or both!

I have never even seen a little owl in the area, but I know there are Tawny's living just a few miles away.

Anyone have any ideas as to the identity of the mystery caller? Would there be a reason why I heard the "Keewick" but not the hooting if it was a tawny?

[dan pointon]

My first impression would that you have heard a Little Owl, they're calling right now in the fields outside my house, and 'kerwick' is definitely the way to describe the call. The best way for you to solve this for certain would be to listen to the calls on this website:

http://www.scricciolo.com/eurosongs/canti.htm

The calls on here could be different to the ones you have got, and should enlighten you as to what you're hearing.

HTH

Dan

[IanF]

There are certainly Tawny Owl around here - as well as Barn, Short-eared and Long-eared for that matter.

Nearest to Billingham I have seen, heard or heard of any Little Owl is Sedgefield - but that doesn't mean they are around of course.

[Simon S]

Kewwick is a call of a Twany Owl.
A little owl sounds like a small dog barking but its note rises towards the end.
Try this site and look under Athene noctua.
Hope this helps

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?gen...species=noctua

[Silvershark]

Originally Posted by IanF

There are certainly Tawny Owl around here - as well as Barn, Short-eared and Long-eared for that matter.

Nearest to Billingham I have seen, heard or heard of any Little Owl is Sedgefield - but that doesn't mean they are around of course.

I know that they are tawnys nearby but I wasn't sure if this was one hanging around my house. Listening to the calls, it sounds like it was a tawny but I don't think he/she comes by frequently. Why would he/she need to when there are nice fields probably filled with tasty prey morsels nearby?

Maybe I wasn't imagining the hooting afterall!

[Silvershark]

OK, now I'm confused again the "Keewick" was most definately a tawny from listening to sound clips, but the other strange nocturnal noise I heard sounds exactly like the "alarmed/warning" call of the little owl on the site Simon gave!

The other call sounds nothing like any of the tawny calls.

[Simon S]

Little Owls will alarm whan a Tawny is around. Tawnys bully little owls

[Silvershark]

I heard calls again last night - fairly distant but they match the little owl excited calls.