Have you ever been jolted awake by a strange, screeching sound in the middle of the night? If so, you’re not alone. Many people have had the unsettling experience of hearing odd animal vocalizations after dark.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Common culprits for nighttime screeches and calls include owls, foxes, raccoons, cats, bats, and even some birds like killdeer.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore some of the most likely nocturnal noisemakers in backyards and neighborhoods across North America. Read on to solve the mystery of what animal screams into the night.
Screech Owls
Types of Screech Owls
There are two main types of screech owls in North America – the Eastern Screech Owl and the Western Screech Owl. The Eastern Screech Owl has gray feathers with streaks and bars, while the Western Screech Owl has grayish-brown feathers with a heavily barred belly.
Screech owls are relatively small, with tufts on their heads and yellow eyes. Their calls sound like piercing screeches, which gives them their name.
Screech Owl Sounds
Screech owls produce a variety of haunting calls used for communicating and defending territories. The whinnying call or “screech” is made when the owl is excited. It sounds like a shrill whinny that descends in pitch.
Screech owls also make a soft, wavering territorial call variously described as a bounce or ball bearing call. Females make a raspy begging call when soliciting food from their mate. Screech owls may also clap their bills together to make a clicking sound during courtship or aggression displays.
Screech Owl Habitats
Screech owls occupy a variety of wooded habitats including hardwood, coniferous, and mixed forests as well as wooded suburban and urban areas. They roost and nest in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, or nest boxes put up specifically for screech owls.
Screech owls west of the Rocky Mountains often inhabit drier pine-juniper forests while their eastern relatives occupy more deciduous forests. Both species do well near edges of forests and open areas which provide habitat for the small rodents and insects they prey on.
Foxes
Red Fox Vocalizations
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are well known for their wide range of vocalizations. Their most iconic sound is a quick series of barks, described as a “yap” or “gekkering”. These yaps are often heard at dawn or dusk as foxes communicate with other foxes across territories.
Red fox mating calls in late winter also frequently include yaps, as well as howls, squeals, and other sounds. Pups will whimper softly when nursing or distressed. Red foxes even use a quiet “click” sound, audible up to 3 feet away, to call to family members when reuniting at a den site.
Gray Fox Calls
Compared to red foxes, gray fox vocalizations (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are less studied but do share some similarities. Both species use a wide vocabulary of barks, yaps, whimpers, squeals, growls, howls, and other sounds.
One main difference is gray foxes do not share the same loud, group “gekkering” mating calls as red foxes in the early spring. Gray fox mating most often involves subdued whimpering mixed with aggressive growls as pairs remain solitary.
Where Foxes Live
Both red and gray fox species make their homes in wooded areas interspersed with open meadows or farmland across most of the United States. Red foxes occur over most of the country and into Alaska and Canada, while gray foxes live in the eastern, central, and southwestern states.
Foxes claim territorial home ranges of 2 to 12 square miles, with the red fox’s territory generally being larger. Dens are dug underground, often with multiple entrances and tunnels for escape and shelter for their kits (young).
Foxes may switch between several dens within their range during the spring birthing and summer pup-rearing season.
Fox vocalizations serve many important functions like claiming territories, communicating danger, rallying pack members to hunt, finding mates, locating family, and more. Distinguishing between a fox’s various barks, howls, or cries can clue you into their intriguing social world happening in the forests and fields nearby as darkness falls.
Raccoons
Raccoons are known for being noisy creatures, especially at night. Their sounds can be alarming if you hear them near your home and don’t know what’s causing all the ruckus.
Raccoon Noises
The most common sound made by raccoons is a hissing screech or scream. This shrill, unnerving cry can sound very aggressive which riles up dogs and makes them bark. Raccoons also growl, snarl, shriek, and make chuckling noises. Baby raccoons will mewl or cry like kittens when in distress.
Why Raccoons Make Noise at Night
Raccoons are nocturnal animals, meaning they are most active at night. They make more noises in the dark for communication and signaling purposes. Some reasons raccoons vocalize at night include:
- Defending territories from other raccoons
- Females calling their cubs
- Males attracting mates
- Sending warning signals of danger
In spring and early summer when mating occurs, you’ll hear more screeching and crying whines. Momma raccoons also growl aggressively to protect their babies from any perceived threats.
Identifying Raccoon Sounds
Raccoon noises can be similar to the sounds of other nocturnal wildlife like foxes, cats, or birds. However, the scream of a raccoon stands out as distinct once you have heard it. Some ways to identify raccoon sounds include:
- A very harsh, screechy cry that trails off at the end
- Noises occurring at night near den sites like attics or chimneys
- Whining or chuckling noises
- Intense vocalizations mixed with aggressive barking from dogs
If you hear strange noises around your home at night, go outside with a flashlight and see if you spot any raccoons scurrying about while vocalizing. Their eyes will glow orange in the beam of the light confirming culprits of the ruckus.
Cats
Feral and Stray Cat Screams
The blood-curdling screeches and howls of feral cats in the dead of night can be terrifying for homeowners. These wild, unsocialized felines compete fiercely for territory, mates, and food sources. The noisy skirmishes are more common during mating seasons, when females in heat attract hordes of eager males.
Like their feral counterparts, stray house cats may also yowl while roaming neighborhoods, fighting for dominance. Their distressing cries often stem from hunger, fear, or separation anxiety after owners abandon them.
Why Cats Yowl and Cry at Night
Domestic cats are largely nocturnal creatures that sleep much of the day. At dusk when their natural prey emerges, the hunt ensues. Instincts to chase mice, rabbits, and other small critters trigger excited yowling.
Boredom and loneliness also spark after-dark meowing. If cats lack mental stimulation or company during the day, they often cry out for attention when owners go to bed.
Your pet may also vocalize due to sickness, pain, or cognitive issues. Any major change in screaming frequency warrants a veterinary exam to diagnose health problems early.
Cat Noise Solutions
To curb night noise from free-roaming strays and ferals, experts recommend:
- Blocking outdoor shelter spots beneath porches, in shrubbery, etc.
- Covering trash cans securely to deny access to food scraps
- Closing pet doors at night
- Motion-activated sprinklers and lights to scare intruders
For house cats prone to evening antics, try:
- More rigorous daily playtime to satisfy hunting needs
- Puzzle feeders for mental stimulation
- Soothing pheromone plugins to ease stress
- Night lights for security
If your indoor cat persistently wails or seems distressed after you have tried various remedies, seek a cat behaviorist’s advice. They can tailor an effective plan for your unique situation.
Bats
Bat Screeches and Chirps
Bats make a variety of vocalizations including screeches, chirps, clicks, and squeaks. These noises allow bats to navigate and hunt at night using echolocation. The frequencies of bat calls range from 14,000 to over 100,000 hertz, which is beyond human hearing range (Source: https://www.batcon.org).
Screeches tend to be loud, abrupt bursts of sound used to startle predators or communicate with other bats. Chirps are softer, quick chattering sounds used while hunting and feeding.
Identifying Bat Calls
While many bat sounds are inaudible to humans, they can often be picked up by bat detectors. These devices convert the high-frequency sounds into frequencies we can hear. Different bat species have unique call patterns that experts can use to identify them.
However, it takes experience to distinguish the variety of chirps, trills, buzzes, and screeches out there. An easy way for amateurs to identify bats is by the habitat they’re heard in. For example, trident bats make harmonious trills and prefer desert environments.
Understanding where species roost and forage gives clues to matching sounds.
Bat Roosting Areas
Bats roost in natural shelters and man-made structures offering warmth, seclusion, and proximity to feeding areas. Holes in trees, caves, rock crevices, attics, barns, and bat boxes are common shelter spots. Large colonies can occupy expansive spaces like caverns or bridges.
Solitary bats may tuck themselves into a single leaf. Wherever they choose, expect lots of chatter as bats leave en masse at dusk on the hunt! Their small size means bats can squeeze into tiny areas we might not expect either. Virtually any cracks or crevices could harbor roosting bats.
Historic buildings and storm-damaged trees are actually prime real estate for these nocturnal noisemakers!
Conclusion
Hopefully this guide has shed some light on the mysterious night screams you may hear near your home. While unnerving, these vocalizations are a natural part of wildlife behavior for nocturnal species.
Now that you know which animals to listen for, you can more easily identify creatures by their distinct calls. Understanding what makes certain animals cry out can also help you prevent or control noise issues when possible.
