What the heck is this noise I keep hearing at night?

[Tippyman]

Took a video of it:

Repeats about every 15 seconds, and seems to be in the trees. When I move close it will move a little further but won't make a sound when moving. Just calls again further away. It seems to like hanging around the coop for some reason.

Any ideas? I'm hoping this is common knowledge and I just haven't been educated yet, haha.

 

[LRH97]

If I had to guess, I would say maybe a barn owl? I'm not entirely sure though. They're not common in my area. They have a distinctive screechy call that sort of sounds like the sound in the video. The sound in the video doesn't sound as loud though. Here's a link to what some of their vocalizations sound like.

 

[TalkALittle]

Screech owl? Hard to tell from the audio.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Took a video of it:

Repeats about every 15 seconds, and seems to be in the trees. When I move close it will move a little further but won't make a sound when moving. Just calls again further away. It seems to like hanging around the coop for some reason.

Any ideas? I'm hoping this is common knowledge and I just haven't been educated yet, haha.

I think you have a small owl. I can't really tell what type from the video, but it sounds like an owl. Check around the coop for rodent activity. If you have a nice population of mice or rats, that would explain why it's hanging around.

As long as tge owl is showing up after dark, and the coop is closed up for the night, probably not a bad thing. But if he starts showing up during the day, or early evening...different story.

 

[Kim Z]

Sounds like a young barred owl begging for food from its parents.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

Go to the site above (Cornell ornithology) and scroll down to the begging call sound file.

 

[Tippyman]

Sounds like a young barred owl begging for food from its parents.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

Go to the site above (Cornell ornithology) and scroll down to the begging call sound file.

That seems to be it! Thanks a lot! That explains why I can't hear it move.

 

[Kim Z]

That seems to be it! Thanks a lot! That explains why I can't hear it move.

You're welcome. I second what rock home isle says about them helping with rodent populations. Barred owls don't tend to go after full grown birds during the day. Watch your chicks though.