I heard a barred owl hooting one night in the woods that surround my house. A few nights later, I heard a great horned owl, with a different, descending pattern of hoots. What I heard was probably ...

“Owls are voracious predators that hunt mostly at night ... great horned owl can snatch up rabbits, skunks or even other owls, Williams said. Many people think all owls make a hooting noise ...

But even before the act of violence, suspense has been established as soon as we see the Myers house — and hear the hoot of an owl. Owls have managed to become a universal symbol for spookiness.