hoot owl
Country name for a big night owl, usually the great horned or barred owl.
Also called great horned owl, barred owl, hoot-owl.
Updated September 24, 2026
hoot owl pronunciation
/HOOT owl/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, a hoot owl is the owl that deep-hoots from the ridge after dark. Field guides say great horned owl or barred owl. Folks just say hoot owl. The call can feel lonesome or spooky, and old mountain lore treated a hoot near the house as a bad sign.
How folks use it
- “There's a hoot owl down in the holler going at it again tonight.”
- “Mama said if a hoot owl sat on the roof three nights, somebody was ailing.”
Origin and etymology
Plain descriptive name from the bird's hoot. Common across rural America, especially strong in Southern and Appalachian speech. Cherokee tradition around the Smokies treated the great horned owl as a serious omen. No fancy Latin needed when you can hear the bird name itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is hoot owl one exact species?
Not really. Most folks mean the deep-hooting owls, especially great horned or barred. Screech owls get called by other names.