Owl Impression Videos on TikTok Are Bringing People Together in an Unexpected Way

Sometimes, a TikTok trend brings people together in different ways. That's kind of the case for the owl impression trend, which has TikTok users making their own impressions of how an owl might sound in very specific circumstances. Like a jealous girlfriend saying the iconic "hoo" of an owl, but in the cadence of a jealous girlfriend who wants to know "who" her partner is cheating on her with.

There are other impressions, of course. But they all have that "hoo" sound in common. We all know the classic "hoo hoo" sound, which also sounds like "who." Now, somehow, a TikTok trend is all about people sharing how they think certain people or certain groups of people might sound if they, too, were owls.

As long as you know how to make a TikTok and you have even slight knowledge of any topic or group of people, animals, or fictional characters, you can participate in the owl impression trend. Is that what makes it so great? Maybe. In one TikTok of a user doing the trend, the creator, known as Mr. Lindsay, imitates what a seventh-grade girl would sound like as an owl. His "hoo" sounds more like an annoyed teenage girl asking, "Who?" and that's sort of the point.

An even more specific take on the trend is from a woman who says, "This is my impression of an owl if the owl was an overstimulated millennial mom teaching herself how to self-regulate while teaching their child how to self-regulate."

The result is a "hoo" that at first sounds annoyed, but then she catches herself, and then repeats it in a much softer tone. It's another relatable way to use the trend.

There are other versions of the owl impression trend, where users imitate celebrities and those celebrities' specific ways of speaking. Like Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, and even the Kardashians. Even if you don't want to join in on making one yourself, it's hard not to want to hear everyone's owl-like versions of famous people and characters.

With many TikTok trends, it's hard to say which came first between the chicken and the egg. In this case, it would be the owl and the owl egg. But, as with most trends, it's hard to pin down exactly how and where the owl impression trend started. More than likely, it was born out of a user's boredom and their ability to expertly impersonate someone famous by sharing how they think the person might give a "hoo" as an owl.

The oldest TikToks with the trend are from Jan. 17, 2026, so it's possible that it started with a random user who thought it would be funny to share their impersonation of a random owl. But, again, it's not totally clear who is to thank for the trend that has, so far, brought millions of amateur impersonators together on the platform.