Viriik

Viriik are big black birds that create a special posion named Gliik. They are found mostly in the eastern part of Branul.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Viriik are big birds (size of a cat) with black plumage and golden beaks. Their wings are long and their legs are short, but end with sharp razor-like talons. A viriik's eye are usually yellow coloured (blue when young), but brown eyes have been seen in some specimen, it is unsure if it is a natural colour or caused by some disease.
Viriik have a special gland (called caafar) near their stomach that allows them to create Gliik, a special spit that is poisonous and when dry, it works as adhesive.
Their beaks are extremely strong and can bear bite animals with high corporal temperature, which allows them to eat lava insects, their main food resource.

Genetics and Reproduction

Femal viriik lay three to five eggs once a year, after that, the male viriik impregnate the eggs. The eggs will be incubated for three weeks before hatching. This process usually happens between the "Month 5" and "Month 6", a couple of weeks before the lava insects (their main food source) breed, so they have plenty of food for when the hatchlings are born.

Growth Rate & Stages

• Hatchlings: they do not have plumage, they are blind and the caafar is not fully developed.
• Fledglings: the plumage is starting to grow, and sight is starting to develope. The caafar is fully developed, but they have almost no control over it. They are dangerous for the random spits of gliik, and adults may choose to grow the fledglings separate so they do not hurt the others.
• Juvenile: plumage is fully grown, they can see perfecty, and they have control over the caafar. They learn to hunt and to survive alone, and they start to venture out the nest.
• Adults: they are fully grown and developed, with fully control over their actions and body. They leave the nest and can form new families.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Viriik live all over the easter part of Branul, mostly in hot places (such as lava lakes ).

Behaviour

These birds like to collect rocks and give them to their loved ones. To be gifted a rock is an important milestone to create a friendship with the bird.

Intelligence

Viriik are intelligent birds, they can learn customs from other species and even learn short words, sometimes they can even understand their meanings.

Prompt 29: Write about a species in your world that is bred or farmed for a high value resource.

Lifespan

10 years

Average Weight

2 kg

Average Length

50 cm

Geographic Distribution

• Branul

Bird perching on groun by Sergio Ibannez