Henrietta · X · Frazzle · Dazzle
Owls of Rockwood
Strix varia · Durham, North Carolina
Enter the wood
Tap any voice to hear it on its own.
X and Henrietta take their names from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood — X the Owl, who lived in a tree, and his neighbor Henrietta Pussycat. Frazzle and Dazzle come from a long-standing list of cat names we keep at the ready — this pair, apparently, the name of a hair salon on some long-forgotten soap opera.
The two adults look nearly identical. Henrietta is the larger of the two — though that’s hard to tell unless you catch them side by side — and she wears an almost almond-shaped brown mark between her eyes, where X’s is more of a line. You’ll see far less of him, as he is desperately shy. Their calls give them away, too: Henrietta’s ends in a rolling vibrato, where X’s is more terse and abrupt — have a listen above.
The owlets are easier by sight — Dazzle is the younger, paler and downier about the head; Frazzle is older, darker, and more fully feathered. We also suspect Dazzle may be a female — have you seen the size of those feet?! And by ear, Dazzle’s screech rings noticeably higher than Frazzle’s — easiest to catch when you hear the two back to back, but there once you know to listen for it.
All sounds were recorded in the yard on an iPhone. Barred Owls communicate with a rich vocabulary, and it is fascinating and fun to pretend we know what they are saying to each other. X’s language is clear; he trusts no one. Some sounds have been augmented for your listening pleasure. 🦉
