Níak Birds

Níak birds¹ are large, aquatic, flightless birds found in the Ahix Sea and along the northern coast of Dragonía. They are distantly related to the Þe'haned Birds in western Dragonía, and their range once extended to the same region until the end of last ice age. Slow and rather clumsy on land, they are swift and agile swimmers.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Each year, níak birds gather in huge numbers on beaches and lay an egg in a simple nest, little more than a shallow depression in the sand, and the pair takes turns guarding the nest. When the chick hatches, the parents feed it on semi-digested food and gradually leave it for longer periods of time while hunting fish.
The chicks are not completely defenseless however; they can spew foul liquid to keep predators away, and have sharp spikes under the down in case they get too close. The spikes fall off as the birds grow old enough to fend for themselves.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Níak birds are almost exclusively fish-eaters.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Ameders inhabiting Kanix Forest sometimes hunt níak birds for their meat and fat, though more commonly they harvest the eggs. The latter practice was adopted early in their history as a substitute for Ykan Birds eggs, as ykans cannot survive the cold, humid climate in the region.

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¹Original icelandic: níakfuglar, singular: níakfugl.

by Lappalingur

Lifespan

20 years

Average Height

Around 1.7 meters

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The back is mostly black, with white, yellow and orange markings, the belly is white and the feet grey. The beak is grey with yellow and orange stripes, and orange on the inside on males. Chicks have dark grey down.