Theory: The Hootzes are from Autumn Heights

Abstract
The Hootzes encountered in Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze are native to Autumn Heights.

Arguments

 * Argument 1: Throughout Autumn Heights, we see bird-like structures and architecture: houses looking like birdhouses, carved owl statues, and chiefly the carved mountains looking like owls.


 * Argument 2: Hootzes are not encountered before the first level of Autumn Heights.

“''I imagined that there was a society of owls long ago that populated the Autumn Heights island. This is why Skowl was able to take over so easily. He used the folklore as a pretense for the Snomad invasion of the island.''”
 * Argument 3: Eric Kozlowsky, one of the Modellers and Artists for Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, had this idea for Autumn Heights: