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Hoot Owl Creek is a small tributary of the Russian River in Alexander Valley, northeast of Healdsburg. Presumably, you can sometimes hear the calling of owls there. A “hoot owl” can be one of several ...

It’s March. This is when I find myself torn between clinging to winter and beginning to look for signs of spring, for the forest to begin to shake off its winter torpor. A time to look for breeding ...

It’s difficult to ID Eastern and Western screech-owl species—location is your best bet. Hear their call and learn about their ...

Spotting an owl glide through the treetops is a thrilling experience, its silhouette a shadow against the twilight sky. A hallmark of owls is their completely silent flight. But when they do make ...

There are at least 250 species of owls in the world, but only a few are more commonly seen (and heard) in Northern California and across the United States. The most common owls you’ll encounter in ...

It’s 2 a.m. on Easter morning, and I’m awakened by "Hoo ho-hoo? Hoo hooo." The cadence is like, “Who’s awake? Me, too.” I open my window. The night is still. For certain, a great horned owl is calling ...

Lately, you may have heard them: “hoot” owls. No such critter named “hoot owl” appears in any field guide, but their calls earn them the moniker. The “hoo-hoo-hoo” kinds of calls belong to either ...

An owl’s head does not, in fact, turn a full 360 degrees. Its ear holes are lopsided in order to better pinpoint sound and locate prey. And, on some species, feathers glow under ultraviolet light.