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| Boreal Owl | |
| |
| Names | |
| Common Name: | Boreal Owl |
| Scientific Name: | Aegolius funereus |
| Appearance | |
| The Boreal Owl has a brown to grey coloration, with white flecking on the shoulders. Its chest and belly feathers are a whitish-streaked rust color. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a white facial disc, and a "surprised" appearance. The beak is light yellow colored rather than dark like its relative the Northern Saw-whet Owl | |
| Behavior | |
| An unsociable nocturnal owl. They often live in old churches and castles, with bell towers having great cultural significance to them. They often will request to die under a bell, with another Boreal singing a ritual song to toll them to glaumora. They are also known for having kind and giving natures. | |
The Boreal Owl, Aegolius funereus, is a small owl. It is also known as the Tengmalm's Owl after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm. Other names for the owl include Richardson's Owl, Funeral Owl (Latin: funereus), Sparrow Owl and Pearl Owl (Finnish: helmipöllö). This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.
Information[]
Description[]
The Boreal Owl is 8.7–10.6 in (22–27 cm) long with a 20–24 in (50–62 cm) wingspan, and a weight range of 3.3-7.6 oz (93-215 g). A nocturnal, unsociable owl, the adult males are territorial, but territories are small. Their call is a series of "Poop" notes followed by a 3-4 second break, then another series.
Ecology[]
They live mainly in a variety of forests, either coniferous, or deciduous, and hunt in forest meadows and open forests. Because of their small size, they are preyed upon by martens, larger owls, and other raptors, like goshawks.
Diet[]
Boreal Owls eat small animals such as voles and mice, as well as small birds, and some invertebrates. They usually hunt by perching on low branches or tree trunks, scanning the ground and listening. Once the prey is selected, they will swoop down on it from their perch.
Reproduction[]
It lays 3-8 eggs in either an old woodpecker cavity, or a natural cavity. They will also take readily to artificial nest boxes. Incubation lasts 28-29 days. The chicks hatch a day apart, leave the nest at about 30-32 days, and are looked after by the parents for 4-6 weeks. Unlike many owls, pair bonding is only seasonal.
Notable Boreal Owls[]
History[]
The Capture[]
Grimble snatched Gylfie and joined Jatt and Jutt in dropping off the newest batch of owlets at St. Aggie's.
Sometime later, Gylfie discovers that Grimble guards the library. She also suspects that he's not completely moon blinked.
Much later, Gylfie and Soren sneak off and follow Grimble. They confront and question him, thinking he's faking, and he replies that he wishes he was perfectly moon blinked. He tells them they'll talk later in the glaucidium, and gives them warning.
That night he tells his story, how he was returning from hunting with his mate, when he spotted a snatching patrol led by Ork. They had his favorite daughter Bess, so he killed Ork with his bare talons. Grateful their competition for head of St. Aggie's was now dead, Skench and Spoorn made him a deal: work for them willingly and your family will be spared. He accepted, but over time, he became semi-moon blinked. When he visited them, his family couldn't recognize him, and his chime-like call was flat. Soon, his family disappeared. He goes on to explain what St. Aggie's wants and what flecks are. The duo then ask him to teach them to fly. He teaches them in the small space before the library, telling them to build muscle and believe.
He soon tells them that there will be thermals, and so they must escape. After getting rid of Jatt, he leads Soren and Gylfie into the library. They are quickly interrupted by Skench, but due to her war regalia, she's paralyzed by the magnetism of the flecks. Grimble shouts at them to escape. He is afterwards killed by Skench.
The Journey[]
During the weather chaw, the class is introduced to Ezylryb's first mate, Poot. The pair instruct them to eat their food with the hair, and then lead them into the baggywrinkles. Otulissa complains through the entire class, to which Poot tells her to shut her beak.
The Rescue[]
With Ezylryb missing, Poot takes over as weather chaw captain, and while he's a great flier, he's not as knowledgeable. During the class, he explains that you should avoid tornados, but he has flown through a hurricane. He teaches the newcomers, Nut Beam and Silver, the difference between port and starboard. After running a quick reconnaissance with Ruby, the tropical storm is becoming a hurricane, so they head for land quickly, winding up in the Spirit Woods. Poot is very superstitious about scrooms, and tells the chaw to sleep on the ground until nighttime, with some members keeping watch. Come nightfall, he leads the chaw back home.
The Coming of Hoole[]
Brother Berwyck spotted Grank, Theo, and Hoole, having seen smoke coming from their direction. While Hoole begins branching, Berwyck talks with Grank about how the Glauxian Brothers are all about learning. He would visit them often, inviting them to the retreat, but Grank refused. Grank permitted Hoole to learn from Brother Berwyck, who even taught Hoole how to fish. Grank notes that Hoole must be familiar will owls of all species, and Boreal Owls were known for their tolerant and giving natures.
Berwyck teaches Hoole that if you catch prey, you must eat it. Never kill for amusement. Hoole then asks him how he came to be, and he explains about male and female owls, and tries to comfort Hoole when he panics at the thought of not having a mother. Later, Berwyck tells Hoole how he's going on a pilgrimage, as all Glauxian Brothers must. He assures Hoole they'll see each other again. He gives him one last bit of wisdom, "Nothing is ever the same, Hoole. That's what makes life life."
The Golden Tree[]
Soren tells Coryn the story of how one day The Band stumbled upon the Palace of Mists and met Bess. She was singing a ritual song for her father, hoping his scroom was now in glaumora. They explained to her how her father was a hero and he loved his family very much. This made her very happy, since before she thought he abandoned them. Very few owls knew of her existence, and she wanted to keep it that way. She stayed in the palace of Mists and studies various maps and literature, even ones belonging to The Others. Because of her vast knowledge, they call her "the Knower".
The River of Wind[]
Bess sends Otulissa a message that she has discovered the way to a sixth kingdom of owls. The Chaw of Chaws, save for Eglantine and Pellimore, head to the Palace of Mists to get the map. Bess gives them all the information she has, but refuses to leave her sanctuary.
Exile[]
Otulissa and Fritha take several books and hide them at the palace of Mists. When they tell Bess it's to prevent them from being burned, she almost faints. Later, Pelli takes the Ember of Hoole to the Palace of Mists as well to keep it hidden, away from The Striga.
During the March of Toys of Balefire Night, Blythe, Bell and Sebastiana beheld a Boreal Owl of the Blue Brigade tear an adorned tail clip from a sobbing owlet, harshly snapping that the youngling had no need for such a silly adornment clouding her humility, untouched by her tears.
The War of the Ember[]
A strange Boreal Owl comes to the Palace of Mists and asks to be sung the ritual song as he dies. Bess does so, and then leaves him alone. She drifts off to sleep, but she dreams about Grimble, who tells her to wake up. She see the Boreal Owl from before tearing the place apart searching for something. They eventually fight, and he demands to know where the ember is being held. She refuses to tell him anything, and after tricking him into going into the wrong chamber, she uses a pair of arrowheads to kill him. She then decides that she must go to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree to tell them what's happened.
The Rise of a Legend[]
After Octavia returns from her mission, a Boreal Owl named Felix, a master cartographer, brings a map of the Ice Talons so they can plan an attack against Bylyric.
Trivia[]
- In the series, Boreal Owls are said to have a notable "chime sound" to their voice.
- Their species name funereus comes from the Latin word for funeral. This ties into Bess singing a ritual song that guides owls to glaumora.
- The Boreal Owl gets its name from the Greek god Boreas, god of the cold north wind and bringer of winter.
- Boreal Owls are said to believe that if they die in a bell tower beneath the clapper of a bell, their scroom will go straight to glaumora.
Gallery[]
