I'm almost positive the sound you recorded, Steve, is a Great Horned Owl.
Adults have less "wimpy" squawks than the youngsters do, and adults will do
repeated squawks just as you described. Our resident male does it interspersed
with some really funky wild hooting, but females do it also to maintain contact
with the kids. Not sure yet if females do it like this outside of "kid raising
season." If you'd like to hear some of my GHO squawk sound files, let me know.
A short clip of our resident male is posted at
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds/Bubo-virginianus-15.mp3, but your recording
sounds more like the two females I've heard squawking with their kids. Granted
this male is the only male I've heard squawking, and I know there is much
individual variation.
Karla Kinstler
19268 Perkins Valley Dr
Houston, MN 55943
http://owlstuff.com
Alice News: http://owlstuff.com/aliceweblog.html
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