![]() ![]() The mourning dove is active during the day, and is vocal in the morning or afternoon. Mourning doves produce a low, mournful cooing sound that may be mistaken for an owl’s hoot, with one notable difference. Why do mourning doves coo? Why do mourning doves hoot? These distinctive mourning dove sounds are-wait for it-a wooing call, an enticement to a mate or potential mate. Why do doves coo? The cooooOOOOO-woo-woo-woo call is almost always uttered by the male mourning dove, not the female. Males may have up to 12 different cooing perches. Learn to recognize these two variations and you’ll know what the doves are up to when you hear them cooing. The longer one is considered to be the song, while the shorter one is the nest call. Male mourning doves give two different sequences of coos. Other times, a special type of hoot is used for communication between mated pairs (2). Hoots can also be used to signal the presence of a predator. Owls primarily hoot to claim their territory and fend off any would-be intruders (1). ![]() What does it mean when an owl is hooting? A mourning dove’s call is a little mournful, or sad, which is where they get their name. This means a hooting call during the day is more likely to be a mourning dove than an owl. Mourning doves are diurnal, strutting around during the day. Owls are typically nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. The male and female of a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female’s voice recognizably higher in pitch than the male’s. Great Horned Owls advertise their territories with deep, soft hoots with a stuttering rhythm: hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo. It’s a soft coo-oo followed by two or three louder coos. The song (or “perch-coo”) is given mainly by unmated males from a conspicuous perch. There is a small, gray pigeon that’s called a mourning dove because its coo is so sad sounding. If a dove builds a nest outside your open window, you’ll be able to hear its coos every morning. Not only can their call sound a lot like an owl’s hooting to the untrained ear, but these skittish blue-gray birds can also be found everywhere from window ledges and alleyways to backyards and bird feeders.Ī coo is the low, sweet sound that a bird makes, especially a dove or pigeon. ![]()
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