by Ashen Shrike on September 9th, 2014, 9:10 pm
This is still kind of a touch and go with more being added or fixed as I figure it out, so feel free to comment or criticize.
Image: Still Working
Name: Grand Marble Shrike
Common Locations: Marblethorn Groves / Around Black Rock
Frequency: Uncommon
Characteristics: Grand Marble Shrikes are a creature indigenous to Black Rock, though they had remained largely unstudied until the discovery of the Marblethorn groves. It is a bird of prey, meaning it will hunt its food throughout the island and sometimes into the coastal areas. Marble Shrikes are primarily carnivorous and live off of fish and small mammals, though reptiles and large insects are certainly on the menu. They have high survivability even when food is low, lasting up to a week with up to their body weight in food. The average adult Marbe Shrike weights about 21 pounds (9.5 kilograms) and has a wingspan of approximately 118 inches (300 centimeters), with females being marginally larger than males. Their lifespan can be upwards of twenty years, or more in captivity.
What makes the Marble Shrike unique are its long, sharp beak, crushing stone-like talons and vivid array of large monochromatic feathers with a tail tipped in long ball-tipped feathers similar to a peacock's. Rows of alternating black and white adorn its body from beak to claw. At the end of the tail are five feathers, each tipped in a tuft reminiscent of a cotton swab, elegantly patterned in circular figures of black and white. These are largest in males, who also have a crested head and theoretically use it as a tool to attract suitable mates. The shrike may use them as a lure by generating a sweet, intoxicating chemical exclusive to these feathers and perching perfectly still on the branches of a Marblethorn to attract animals and insects to them. When the shrike captures prey, it binds it under its large talons am
0pnd either drops or thrusts it upon sharp rocks, protrusions or branches to impale the creature, where it will remain and slowly die. The Marblethorn tree has the interesting property of slowing down decay gives the bird's food a shelf life.
Social Structure: Because the Grand Marble Shrike is such a proficient hunter, they live a solitary life. They are not very territorial, especially when food is in abundance so seeing two or more in the same immediate area isn't impossible, though their limited population makes it unlikely. Every Spring, the Marble Shrikes enter a mating season, where the males will often perch with their wings open and tail hung for extended periods of a time in the hopes of attracting a good mate. Once a couple has been made and procreated, the female will lay one egg on average per year. Sometimes they lay no eggs, sometimes males simply opt out of the search for a female. Pairings usually last the year until the next mating season, or until any hatchlings are able to set off on their own.
Marble Shrikes do not see much interaction with humans. They are not typically hostile to people, though they tend to avoid the city and populated areas where hunting is limited the terrain isn't favorable. However, they should still be seen as dangerous as they are very large birds of prey who won't shy away from a fight to keep outsiders away from their dwellings. As they are intelligent birds, some has sought to study them, though their size and habits would make them very difficult to handle in falconeering.
Miscellaneous: Must have Help Desk permission to create as a Kelvic PC.
(((because they're huge, about 1.4x the size of a Bald Eagle at their peak, to be exact)))
Last edited by
Ashen Shrike on September 13th, 2014, 2:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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