Eagle owl winter calling
Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) — 'gufo reale'. Alps, Apennines, pre-Alpine cliffs, Italy.
Best time: 1 Dec – 15 Feb (December to February). Where: Cliffs above Lake Garda (Riva del Garda), Gole del Sagittario, Abruzzo (Italy). Time of day: Hooting starts at dusk and is most regular in the first 2 h of darkness, with a second bout in the hour before dawn.
- You can go on your own
- Free
- No binoculars needed
- Sound 4/5
Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.
When is the best time?
Peak: 1 Dec – 15 Feb. December to mid February
Active from 1 Nov to 15 Mar (November to March) in a typical year.
Time of day
Hooting starts at dusk and is most regular in the first 2 h of darkness, with a second bout in the hour before dawn; still, cold nights carry it several km.
- Evening hooting: 15 min after sunset → 2 h after last light
- Pre-dawn hooting: 1 h before first light → first light
What will you hear?
Deep 'oo-hu' territorial hoots from cliffs, sometimes in male–female duet, echoing off rock.
Binoculars?
No binoculars needed. Hoots from the cliffs at dusk; the bird stays unseen. Never light the cliff.
Where to go
- Cliffs above Lake Garda (Riva del Garda) — Ask local ornithologists — sites are sensitive. Map
- Gole del Sagittario, Abruzzo — Remote Apennine gorge. Map
How to go on your own, and what it costs
Listen from public roads and trails below cliffs at dusk — the Gardesana road lay-bys north of Riva del Garda, or the SR 479 through the Gole del Sagittario from Anversa degli Abruzzi. Never approach the cliff or use playback; ask local ornithologists rather than searching.
Cost: Free.
Field-recording notes
Very sensitive to disturbance at breeding cliffs — record from a distance, no playback, and do not publish exact sites. The hoot's fundamental is around 300 Hz and carries several km on still nights.
Sources
Similar spectacles
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More: all spectacles in Italy · owls · wildlife at night · Italy in January · Italy in February · Italy in December