Dragonsparrow

The Dragonsparrow is a small bird living mainly in the Wunnewalden Forests, where it thrives on the huge amount of ambient magic present there. Due to it looks with a dragon-shaped head and a feather pattern looking remarkibly similar to litard scales, it is sometimes thought to be a relative to the legendary dragons.
Dragonsparrows are only about as large as a human's hand with a small pointy beak and a wingspan of about three hands. Their feathers are usually in brown, grey or green colors, making them very difficult to spot in the surroundding petrified forest areas.
The birds are very territorial and live in small groups close to sources of magical energy. They rarely migrate to a different spot and reuse nests multiple years in a row - sometimes even across generations. A Dragonsparrow has a lifespan of about six to ten years and will have offsprings five to six times in their life. They lay around three eggs per year but only one in thre chicks will grow into maturity.
Dragonsparrows have adapted to high amounts of ambient energy. Where other species are in danger whith too much exposre to magic, these birds are able to proces sthe energy really well. However, this does in turn mean they require a lot of magic for their metabolic functions. They live off the Stoneglow Fruit growing there, which sustains there high requirement for magical energy. Collecting fruits from their preferred spots will make them aggressively hunt the fruits. This requires traders to protect themselves from the surprisingly fierce birds.
Having a high intake of magic, the Dragonsparrow is able to significantly increase their flight speed and manouverability for short buirsts of time. Additionally they are able to channel magic through their beak as a short burst of flames, often accompanied by a deep, vibrating shreek reminiscent of a roar. In general, Dragonsparrows seem to show a higher awareness and intelligence than most birds and some people claim to recognize a form of speech in their signing. In fact, they are able to cooperate well as a small group almost close to a social structure.
The local Wunnekinners respect the Dragonsparrows and rever them - and consider them a rare delicacy as well. Together with the Stoneglow Fruit, the meat of a Dragonsparrow is a main ingredient of the Ascending Dragon Roast.

by Midjourney Generation

Geographic Distribution

• Wunnewalden