“Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” Say it slowly and that’s the well-known call of the barred owl. But they don’t really care who’s making dinner, so what’s all the hooting about?

Owls call to claim and defend territory, announce to others that there is a predator nearby, and communicate with mates. It’s always a treat to hear owls calling, and this time of year (nesting season) is prime time to enjoy the sounds of several owl species in Maine. Listen carefully and you may even hear a pair singing a duet with the female’s voice having a slightly higher pitch than the male in some species.

Take a listen in your own backyard and let us know who’s hooting. Why do we give a hoot? Sharing your observations with the Maine Bird Atlas helps biologists learn more about the abundance and distribution of birds in our state. This knowledge leads to successful conservation of Maine birds and a better understanding of environmental changes.

You can contribute your owl observations to the Atlas by emailing the following information to mainebirdatlas@gmail.com:

•Date of observation
•Approximate time of observation
•Behavior such as singing, duetting, or sitting on a nest
•GPS coordinates (or nearest street address if exact location is unknown)
•Species

Comments are not available on this story.