Day Hoot
The day was still and a cloudy gray; large, fluffy snowflakes fell gently to the ground, painting the land in a shimmery white. Within the forest, only the sounds of branches creaking under their gathering weight and Lonnie’s boots crunching in the snow could be heard.
Pleased with the day’s hunt, Lonnie whistled on his way home, enjoying the serenity around him. He heard the snap of a branch and looked upwards; there sat a strange, mostly black bird. It turned to face him, scrutinizing from above with eerie, white eyes; it sang a familiar song, one that went, “who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? ” The sound was off, sending shivers down his spine; it was then that Lonnie realized what the creature was: a death omen.
Though he did not think of himself as a superstitious person, Lonnie could not help feeling dread creep over him. He remembered stories his grandparents had told him—that if one heard a Day Hoot, they’d die within the week by beast, man, or natural causes; some said the curse drove men mad, others that it attracted misfortune.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lonnie began seeing a shadowy thing; every time he turned to look, it disappeared. Behind him, small noises echoed; each minute, they sounded closer, heavier. The shadow grew taller, darker and his heartbeat louder, faster. He turned suddenly, sweat upon his brow, and yelled incoherently. Silence answered; yet, he could feel it there, nearby. The trees began to grow closer without moving. Feeling suffocated and pursued, Lonnie dropped his pack and rifle and sprinted ahead, looking behind him intermittently. The shadow grew nearer on the edge of his vision, but turning, he never spotted it behind him. He ran farther into the forest, losing sense of direction; a loud snap caught his attention. When he turned his head back to look, he missed the steep, rocky drop off that lay before him, tumbling below. Now the only sound that filled the woodlands was that of snow plopping onto the ground and the distant, muffled call of an owl.
- West Virginian folk story
OWL OF CURSED DEATH
Some say these ominous birds are fae-touched creatures: furious elves angered by intrusive humans cast magic on groups of owl eggs, giving them the ability to kill encountered humans blindly and effortlessly with only a hoot and the meeting of eyes. The birds’ murderous ability was once stronger, though; now, it is still unknown whether the sight, sound, or the belief in the bird’s abilities kills these individuals.
KIND
Cursing Bird [Strigidae, True Owl ]
A true owl (A.K.A. Strigidae), the Day Hoot is a transmogrified species of Barred Owl native to the Appalachian region. A Cursing Owl, the curse bestowed by this animal causes terror, and oftentimes death to those who see it and know its story.
HABITAT
Day Hoots prefer to live in mature forests—dry or moist woodlands primarily composed of conifer or deciduous trees that are over 80 years old with a developed canopy, thin moss coverage, and a detritus with little woody debris. However, if pushed out of these territories by humans or other woodland animals, they will settle in more open copses.
APPEARANCE
Unlike its relatives, the Day Hoot’s coloring is inverse of that of the average Northern Barred Owl. The creatures have pearly, unblinking, white eyes that glow faintly in the dark and have a thin brown ring in the center; their faces are shrouded by black feathers speckled with gray, alabaster, and rings of brown. Its underbelly is brown and black with light streaks (chest lined horizontally, stomach lined vertically) and feathers obscure half of its talons; its back is covered in a similar, mottled pattern of white, black, gray, and brown. Day Hoots are smaller Barred Owls, weighing from 0.75 -1.82 lbs, reaching 30 - 52 cm tall, and having a wingspan of 87 - 115 cm; females are inherently larger than males. Due to its thick, fluffy plumage, the bird can appear bigger than other owls.
DIET AND FEEDING
Surviving mostly on small animals, the bird may hunt from dawn to dusk, but more frequently at dawn. They rely on their exceptional hearing and binocular vision to track down and capture prey. The primary target of the birds are mammals—including small creatures like field mice and meadow voles, or larger animals such as opossums, bats, squirrels, rabbits, weasels, and minks. When eyeing aquatic prey (crayfish, frogs, turtles, and fish), the Day Hoot will slowly wade into the water before quickly grasping the small meal in its talons. After rain, worms are an easy and quick meal enjoyed by the birds. When more desirable prey is unavailable, the Day Hoot will feed on beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, lizards, or slugs. Only in dire situations will this bird hunt snakes, for they fear the poisonous bite of the Copperhead. Unlike their counterparts, the Day Hoot does not normally consume other avian birds but will occasionally pick up a domesticated chicken or duck to carry back to a feeding perch. If in a period of starvation, Day Hoots will consume small or broken bones, stones, or dirt to fill their bellies. Solo or coupled owls may attack and feed upon others in their species as an act of desperation. If food is not found, nesting birds will move their young to a new location; if this proves unsuccessful, they will consume their offspring.
ACTIVITY
Reproduction
Courtship begins in February (lasting as long as early August) near nesting sites through simple calls. When a Day Hoot takes a mate, they mate for life. Occasionally, the birds interbreed with Northern Barred Owls and Spotted Owls, but only when mates are scarce (typically, each of these birds are aggressive towards the other). Like many owls, the pairs make nests in 20 - 40 ft high tree cavities created by woodpeckers. If these desirable nests are unavailable, they may reuse the abandoned stick-platform nesting sites of squirrels, crows, or hawks. The couple does little to the nest once claimed—adding some additional stuffing, but seldom else. Since they are non-migratory and territorial birds, they will remain in the same nest throughout the year, only leaving occasionally after nesting season; yet, if the nest was inhospitable the previous year and plagued by danger, the owls will relocate. Their territory can stretch as far as 1.5 square miles. Females lay three rough-textured, black eggs per year (from February to March) that hatch about four weeks later. Nests are heavily attacked by weasels, raccoons, Great Horned Owls, and other large birds who eat their eggs, young, and adolescents. Intruders are met with clawing attacks and loud hoots. Females are more combative, especially during the nesting season. Young owls are also often targeted by domesticated and wild cats.
Hoots & Calls
Exactly like their mundane counterparts, the Day Hoot’s call is made up of eight accentuated notes that end in an “oo-aw” sound. It is commonly said that their hoot sounds similar to the phrase, “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?” Calls are most common during the day, but can also occur at dawn and dusk; they are also most common in the winter. It is believed that if a Day Hoot is seen out in the open at dawn and the listener has not yet eaten, if he/she hears the owl’s call and looks at it they will die within the week. However, it is unknown if the hoot or belief in the hoot causes death; as those plagued by this event are so terribly afraid that they make careless, frantic decisions that lead to their demise.
TOURISTRY
With their connection to death and appearance, they are often misidentified as a Dark Spector; however, a relationship with paranormal entities has not been displayed. Though a hoot has not been proven to directly cause mortality, travelers are cautioned to always eat before taking a morning stroll.