05/09/2026
“Click Click”
Read below 👇
Pretty Lady’s Owlet “Clicking” before taking flight!
The owlet was high in the tree tops near a Red-headed Woodpecker. The Woodpecker was aggravating the owlet for getting too close to its home.
• How it works: Owlets rapidly snap their sharp upper and lower beaks together. The sound is often amplified or controlled with their tongue, creating a crisp, loud pop or rattle that carries surprisingly far. 
• When they do it: Starts very young — even before fledging. Common in the nest or on branches when they feel threatened.
• Main Reasons:
1. Defense & Intimidation — Warns predators, humans, or other animals to stay away.
2. Communication — Alerts parent owls to danger or signals to siblings (“Don’t crowd me!” or “I’m hungry/stressed”). 
3. Agonistic Behavior — Part of natural threat displays, often paired with puffing up feathers, mantling, or hissing.
