Lightdancer Lark

Native to the northern ice caps, the lightdancer lark is an avian species that gains energy from light. It builds towers of snow to live on top of, condensing the snow into ice to make their homes sturdier. In order to deter their predators, iceburrow foxes, from attacking their nests, they build barriers of rocks and dirt, below their nests. The nests themselves are made of ice lichen. Lightdancer larks will mate for life, laying three to four eggs in a clutch, and having around two to three clutches in a lifetime.

Anatomy

Lightdancer larks have blue-green feathers, which glow on the side facing the bird's skin. This results in a slight glow coming from underneath the bird's feathers, and visible on the underside of their wings when it spreads its wings. The species has a short beak and makes a call that sounds almost like a wind chime. It grows to around 1.5 to 2.5 feet in height, though its young are only a fifth of this size. They have grey beaks and small, beady eyes. Their eyes appear black, but have a slight teal glow inside of them.

Dietary Needs & Habits

The lightdancer lark subsists off of light. They are able to absorb the rays of the sun, or, in a pinch, use moonlight or other light phenomena. The internal byproduct of this process is what causes their feathers to glow. Due to natural selection, the species has evolved to only glow on the inside of their feathers, to reduce exposure to predators and avoid giving away their location.

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Lifespan

5-15 years

Average Height

20-30 inches

Geographic Distribution

• Ice Caps