Why do owls hoot?

Answer: Territory and mate communication

Echolocation like bats use — Owls do not echolocate. They find prey with exceptional hearing, helped by the sound-funnelling disc of feathers around the face, and with large, light-gathering eyes. Hooting is a message to other owls, not a way of sensing the surroundings.

Territory and mate communication ✓ — Correct! Owls hoot mainly to claim territory and to attract or keep a mate. A male's hoot tells rivals the area is taken and invites a female in; mated pairs often answer each other, and softer contact calls keep the family in touch. Each species has its own pattern, like the Great Horned Owl's deep 'hoo-hoo-hoo'. Not every owl hoots: despite the name, screech-owls give a whinny and a soft trill, and barn owls hiss and shriek.

Calling their young back home — Owls do not hoot to call their young home. Many owlets leave the nest before they can fly, scrambling onto nearby branches, and the parents keep track of them by sight and by quiet contact calls, not by hooting. The loud hoot is for other adults: rivals and mates.