Avians
Snowmantle Shrike
Description: A stunningly beautiful but incredibly violent and dangerous bird that lives in the northern regions of Solitude. Snowmantle shrikes grow up to six feet tall and spend most of their time on the ground. They stride through deep snow on long, feathered legs and have short, but broad and powerful wings. Their bodies are fairly slender and graceful being topped by a smallish head with a curved back and a beautiful crest of long, delicate feathers. Aside from their crest, which has a rainbow-like iridescence, snowmantle shrikes have a snow-white plumage that helps them blend into their frigid hunting grounds.
Snowmantle shrikes are named for their habit of burrowing into the snow to await passing prey. Once an unfortunate animal (or occasionally person) comes close enough, they explode from hiding and batter their target to death with precise kicks of their long legs. Though they are not otherwise similar to actual shrikes, snowmantle shrikes have one macabre habit in common with their smaller cousins. They strip the flesh and organs from their prey and fly high up into trees, draping the bits of flesh across branches to keep them safe for later meals.
Other names: Snowrunner
Origin: Uncertain but perhaps from the fifth human migration
Range: Northern Kindreth and Torin, Southern Mistlorn, Lacsland
Kniferook
Description: Resembling small, slim, and angular crows, kniferooks are rarely spotted but well known. Many farmers fear kniferooks attacking their livestock, and many parents fear for young children left alone in the woods these creatures are known to inhabit. These odd birds get their name from their long, knife-like beak, which has a sharp upper and lower edge and a strongly pointed tip. They use this beak to pierce the flesh of unwary animals and make away with slices of flesh and even organs. Being very fast and agile on the wing, kniferooks are nearly impossible to shoot out of the sky and tend roost in dark crannies that protect their narrow and delicate bodies.
Attacks on the migrant races are rare, but have been known to happen, particularly when the victim was injured or otherwise incapacitated. There are also rare accounts of kniferooks being tamed and used by falconers to capture small game.
Other Names: Dagger Crows, Suckerbirds, Needle-noses
Origin: Unknown, however kniferooks are mentioned in records dating back to the Age of Migration
Range: World-wide
King Vulture
King vultures are the only bird in Solitude that come close to rivaling a celebrith in size and power, though they are not nearly as intelligent. Primarily scavengers, king vultures have been known to attack and kill living prey, including humans and eyra. They typically live and hunt in mated pairs and often fly far from their nests in search of food for their young.
King vultures are feared wherever they go, though local stigmas often prevent problem birds from being eradicated. They are rumored to be highly vindictive and believed to take revenge for their slain mates. One particularly troublesome behaviour these huge birds engage in is terrorizing horses, goats and other common farm animals, whipping them into a frenzy and scattering them into the wilderness. The vultures will then take their time picking off those who become separated from the herd.
Origin: King vultures followed the kobolds during their migrations
Range: King vultures are uncommon but are spread across the entirety of the world.
Other Names: Buzzard
Rainbow Hornbill
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Terror Bird
Huge, flightless, and aggressive, terror birds are a relatively recent arrival that has spread to many corners of the temperate and tropical world. In the wild they are feared and avoided as they will kill and eat most anything smaller and weaker than they are. Particularly dangerous are the older, breeding males who can be half again as big as their juniors. While younger male terror birds hunt in packs, these formidable adults, who can tower almost 12 feet tall, hunt alone and have been known to kill fenris, lions, small dragons, and even squads of armored soldiers.
Though powerful predators, terror birds have also been domesticated in some parts of the world. They make strong and swift mounts and are particularly favored by those who wish to travel through thick forest quickly.
Origin: Terror Birds arrived during the First Siska Migration
Range: Locally common across southern Kindreth and Torin; all of Satra