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Post by Lark on Mar 2, 2013 20:48:57 GMT -5
Anatomy: Huntyres are a bird-like creature found only around Trelis. They are much like hawks in appearance, except their coloring is much more colorful, being like parrots. The types of Huntyres found have expanded from three basic colors to five, consisting of three males and two females. Rainbow Huntyres, which are the dominant male, have multiple colors on them. Often they will have multiple arrays of reds, blues, greens, purples and oranges. The second male is called a Lunar Huntyre. The Lunars have either white or silver bodies with soft blue, gray or green plumes mixed in. Forest Huntyres, being a female of the species, are duller in colour. They generally will have bodies consisting of brown, tan, gray and green plumes. The two newer colors are Nightshades, medium-sized males with dark gray or black feathers and markings in other colors, and Sunsets, smaller females of bright reds, oranges, and yellows.
Body wise, besides being hawk like in appearance, they have large, broad wings, a sharp beak and slender talons. Usually a slate gray or black color, their beak is used to both crack open nuts of fruits and berries, and to get into shells of little sea creatures or rip into land prey. One of the most beautiful things about Huntyres is that they have two longer plumes twice the size of their tail feathers that trail behind them. They look almost like peacock feathers because they have an "eye-spot" at the bottom of them.
Lifestyle: Unlike some other creatures on Pern, Huntyres are a male dominant society. Ruled by the strongest Rainbow or Nightshade in the flock, the rest of the birds follow his command. In a Weyr's setting, the Huntyres are a bit more relaxed. Instead, they will follow their bonded. The second in command is always a female. Because they bring forth the new generation, and are less common than the even smaller Lunar breed, they are well taken care of within Huntyre societies. Lunars are the omegas of the society, if you will. Being the smallest and most common of the types, scores of the pale creatures can be found around Trelis.
Mating/Clutching: When a Forest or Sunrise is about to rise, all males interested, whether they be Rainbow or Nightshade or Lunar, chase her. The female will choose their partner based on who impresses her with their flying skills. Often, especially in the wild, whenever a female starts showing signs of rising, the males around her will start courting. This is usually done by following her around, or "shadowing", or by giving her presents of tasty fruits, beautiful shells and/or pebbles.
A female Huntyre will clutch from 4-12 eggs. It depends mostly on what kind of male catches her. A Rainbow or Nightshade for instance will result in a larger clutch, while a Lunar will result in a smaller one. Not all eggs are viable though. While there are instances where all the eggs successfully hatch, most clutches will have dud eggs. A clutch of 12 eggs, for example, typically has about 4 duds. The mother will stay around her clutch and defend it with her life while it hardens. Often times, even the most docile of females will become aggressive during this time. The other females in the flock also take turns protecting the eggs, and no two females will clutch at the same time to ensure the safety of the young.
Eye colors: Compared to dragons, Huntyres have a different set of emotion-linked eye colors. They are as follows...
Gold/Amber- Content or Happy Blue- Hunting or Hunger Green- Alert or fearful Purple- Anger Red- Mating Lust White- Pain or Death
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