Watch the video here

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You might want to take a few minutes out to watch this 52 second video capturing a cougar’s call thanks to Jason Craig and his trail camera.  You may be surprised they can sound like a bird or a loud squeaky toy.

Mountain lions are said to be shy, and sightings can be rare.  Cougars have a differently shaped larynx than that of African lions or tigers so therefore they can’t roar. They can shriek, purr, scream, growl and as you can hear...chirp like a bird.

One website suggested this noise alerts prey animals in distress.  Others suggest it is a sound that mothers use to locate their young.  This call is also said to alert mating mountain lions.

Listen to more videos

• Cougar / Mountain Lion Calling – YouTube
• Cougar Calls – YouTube
• Cougar(Mountain lion) sounds – YouTube

“Last night we heard chirping. Loud chirping we’ve never heard before in all our time living in the mountains. Loud enough to hear over the TV and over the fans as they worked toward cooling down the house. My husband muted the TV and turned off the fan. Sure enough, something was chirping out there. But what?”- Read more here

“Calling remains the most effective way to hunt Oregon’s mountain lions. Effective calls simulate prey animals in distress, coyote pups and mating mountain lions. An electronic call will help you direct the lion’s attention away from your position. Approach the calling area carefully. Wear total camouflage and keep movements to a minimum. ”  Read more here