# What was that noise? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 2, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178 "2004-06-02T01:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/1 "2004-06-02T01:58:11Z")
I’m sitting here typing away, and I keep hearing some animal call outside. I’ve never heard it before. It’s not human. It’s a single long “Whoop!” and the pitch drops a bit towards the end, like Whooooooooop. I’m thinking “owl” but I’ve never heard one like that. As I was coding that sound effect, it stopped. Any ideas as to what it might be? ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/2 "2004-06-02T02:03:04Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > I’m sitting here typing away, and I keep hearing some animal call outside. I’ve never heard it before. It’s not human. It’s a single long “Whoop!” and the pitch drops a bit towards the end, like > > Whooooooooop. > > I’m thinking “owl” but I’ve never heard one like that. As I was coding that sound effect, it stopped. Any ideas as to what it might be? I didn’t hear it. You’re imagining things again. Just turn the music up a notch. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/3 "2004-06-02T02:04:19Z")
Sounds to me like you’ve got yourself a nasty case of Krikkit robots. I’d recommend not answering the door. ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/4 "2004-06-02T02:15:47Z")
Maybe its a dove? I have those all over around here, and at first I thought they were owls too. ---
**Author:** ![SnakeSpirit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snakespirit/32/7271_2.png) [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/5 "2004-06-02T02:16:17Z")
Yuh, ah heared it too. If yuh lissen keerful, yuh’ll heer it bout ever nite. Ah seen 'em. Jus barn owls. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/6 "2004-06-02T03:03:56Z")
I don’t think it’s a dove, it was night. And it wasn’t Krikkets as I’m not dead yet. Wasn’t a barn owl. I did some searching and I guess it may have been a great horned owl, which I have heard around here before. But it wasn’t a classic call, either. If you go to [this page,](http://www.owling.com/Great_Horned.htm#recordings) and click on the first audio file, it sounded like just ONE of those hoots. And longer. And higher pitched. So given those caveats I’m doubting that was it, but there doesn’t seem to be another owl species found in Michigan that sounds anything like it. Maybe we have howler monkeys. Warning: sound files are creepy and may cause you to glance over your shoulder nervously if you are surfing the internet with a flashlight from a tent in your backyard. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/7 "2004-06-02T18:38:16Z")
Ever seen **Pitch Black**? People. I think you should flee!!! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-noise/248178/8 "2004-06-02T20:26:23Z")
Wasn’t me. Although I just belched a moment ago. 😃 Barn Owls make LOTS of different noises. Might actually be one, although I couldn’t tell you without actually hearing it. Nightjar, perhaps? Poor-will with a bad accent?