Besiini

This week, a small besiini, owl, burst from a sheltered hollow beneath a tree stump as we passed on our morning walk, dropping the small mammal it carried. When we looked closer, more prey remained tucked inside, and the Boreal owl watched from nearby, intensely focused on its cache. These small owls often roost in sheltered cavities or dense cover, relying on camouflage and stillness to stay hidden through the day. Despite their size, they are efficient hunters of voles and other small mammals moving beneath the snow. In March, males begin their soft, rhythmic hooting to advertise territories, and their calls carry through the boreal forest, one of the signs that the season is beginning to shift.

 

In Ahtna:

besiini, pronounced bess-see-nee, owl, general term