Ghostly screams that pierce the night. Haunting, mournful, and eerie wails. Raspy shrieks and hair-raising screeches. These are the chilling sounds of Halloween.
Setting the stage for suspense, doom, and dread, no one creates frightening sounds better than Hollywood. But in many cases, the mournful wail or terrifying screech comes from a bird, not a ghost. And many of these birds are quite familiar, even living in our own back yards.
The long, drawn out screech of a Red-tailed Hawk is often used in the background of movies to create a sense of unease, or a wild and scary atmosphere.
Owls look the part. And they produce spooky sounds, ranging from a loud screech to a frightening whinny, or an eerie tremolo. The most notable scary movie to use owls and owl sounds is the 2009 science-fiction horror film, The Fourth Kind. In the movie, an owl plays a significant roll, and the screech is used as a cover for extraterrestrial abductions.
But there’s one bird that Hollywood relies on to create mystery, loneliness, and haunting suspense, and that’s the Common Loon. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 1917, Pet Sematery, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Avengers Endgame, and The X-Files, just to name a few. The mournful, melancholy wail of the Common Loon is the ideal sound when scenes need to be moody or eerie.
Many other birds from around the world produce scary sounds as well. Shoebill Storks, that sound like machine guns. The Kiwi and Screaming Piha, both with other-worldly screams.
Let’s face it, it doesn’t have to be Halloween for these bird sounds to raise the hair on your arms, just hearing them in the dark forest or middle of the night is enough.
On this halloween our treat for you is a collection of spooky, bird sounds. Turn up your volume, if you dare.
The Distinctive Call of Owls, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Fourth Kind – The night owl scene
Why Hollywood loves this creepy bird call, and much more about loons.
Feature photo by Glen Cox