Re: GH Owls calls/behavior

[lcc...@comcast.net]

They can be monogamous, but not always. But usually they begin looking for mates in fall, so I'd surmise this was a mating call back and forth between a male and female. Female is higher pitched.

Yes, females do call in response to males,

Most fledglings don't mate the first year - usually the second.
They usually have one brood, but if an early clutch is lost, they may have another. 

The back and forth could be mating - female is higher, male is lower pitched; a jumble of calls could be two males competing for female or could be territorial.

Leslie Cummings

Wheaton, DuPage County

On Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 8:40:04 PM UTC-5 prste...@gmail.com wrote:

For years, particularly in the Autumn months, Great Horned Owls have frequented the tall trees on and around our patch of land in Palatine.  On consecutive nights last week two were calling between 3 and 5 A.M.

What I found remarkable is that after one called, the other would immediately follow. Being in close proximity it seemed that they were also nearby to one another.  The calling abruptly stopped The following night, I was awakened to a jumbled up mix of calls for which I had never made an ID.  

That was followed after some minutes by the same routine of separated calling as the night previously.  And they apparently flew off (together ?) at once.  Questions:

• Are GHOs monogamous?  Therefore, a spousal conversation?
• Seems doubtful that the female calls at all, I don't know.
• Is this possibly a fledging behavior? Are two broods created each season?
• Is this a simple territorial spat over excellent deer mice hunting grounds?
• Competition, or simply happy communication among two GHs.

Thanks for troubling yourself to reply and enlighten!

Paul Stensvaag

Palatine, Cook.