Question on Tawny Owls (1 Viewer)

[Egrets Ivadafew]

Apologies if this question has been asked before but:-

Regarding the ‘Kuwick!!...Hoo..hooooo’ calls of the Tawny Owl (excuse the crap phonetics), I was always led to believe (quantified by a bird/birding expert) that this was a two part call made by two different birds, the ‘Kuwick’ by one bird and the ‘Hoo’ by another. However an RSPB spokesman says (on TV Sunday) that this is actually a myth and that the whole call is made by one single bird.

Can anyone clarify which it is? Thank you in advance

 

[jurek]

'Ku-wick' is a contact call or alarm call. 'hoo .. hooo' sound like a description of territorial call. Both can be given by male or a female. Rarely, one bird can give both one after another.

He may also refer to strange calls like ones I hear in summer, which are intermediate between different calls. I think they are given by young birds learning how to use their voice.

 

[Euan Buchan]

The Ku wick call from the male and the whoo hoo comes from the female. People often mistake the classic twit a woo as one bird but its two birds the male and female communicating with each other.

 

[YuShan]

He may also refer to strange calls like ones I hear in summer, which are intermediate between different calls. I think they are given by young birds learning how to use their voice.

Ah! So that's what I heard this summer. It sounded like a Tawny, but not the kind of calls I'm used to. I never considered it could be juveniles.

 

[Nutcracker]

The Ku wick call from the male and the whoo hoo comes from the female. People often mistake the classic twit a woo as one bird but its two birds the male and female communicating with each other.

That's the popular myth, but Jurek is right :t:

 

[Egrets Ivadafew]

Thanks for your input everyone.
I was always led to believe the calls/song was from two separate birds, as confirmed on Dominick Couzen’s Teach yourself birdsound tapes. It was just that this guy from the RSPB, an expert in bird sound, said the two owl thing was a myth.
That’s one of the joys of birding I guess, the never ending learning curve
Thanks once again

 

[Torchepot]

Some detailed info here

https://soundapproach.co.uk/species/tawny-owl/

 

[davercox]

Ah, my favourite topic. Please see https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=73424&highlight=Shakespeare this thread from nearly fourteen years ago.

 

[jurek]

It looks like Shakespeare only wanted to have some easy word to find a rhyme - and produced centuries of confusion about owl sounds.

 

[davercox]

I will have to admit this question isn't settled yet, despite my (and others') definite experience of seeing a single bird produce this sound.

 

[Egrets Ivadafew]

Is it just a case of maybe both? As in sometimes the whole call is uttered by a single bird, sometimes it’s shared by two birds. Or is there a definitive rule

 

[jurek]

sometimes the whole call is uttered by a single bird, sometimes it’s shared by two birds.

Yes.

 

[cafe birder]

Just to be on the safe side, if you hear the kuwick type call in daylight, check carefully for Jay nearby. They are very convincing mimics of Tawny Owls

 

[Egrets Ivadafew]

Thanks Cafe Birder, I wasn’t aware Jays did that. The only Jay sound I’m familiar with is the standard screech. And thanks again everyone for your input. I suppose if you’re out at night and you hear the full Tawny Owl call you’d know instantly whether it’s one solo or a pair of birds Due to your own perception of where the sounds came from. It’s only with recordings you’d find it difficult to split the two