Freedom Song: Harriet Tubman’s Barred Owl Call

Freedom Song: Harriet Tubman’s Barred Owl Call

From BirdNote by Birdnote

May 28, 2026

About this episode

This episode explores Harriet Tubman's use of the Barred Owl call as a signal during her work on the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman was a heroic abolitionist in the cause to end chattel slavery. She was also an excellent astronomer and naturalist — and an expert birder. She mastered the hoot of the Barred Owl, using it as a signal throughout the Underground Railroad to let freedom seekers know she had arrived

Topics covered

  • abolitionism
  • birding
  • naturalism
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Underground Railroad
  • Barred Owl

Keywords

  • Harriet Tubman
  • Barred Owl
  • Underground Railroad
  • abolitionist
  • naturalist
  • birding
  • chattel slavery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Underground Railroad

Places: chattel slavery, Barred Owl

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