Yarghur

An odd scaled bird with an extremely hard beak and a keening wail. They are seemingly invigorated by lightning as they are often sighted flying in the worst electrical storms.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Yarghur mate for life, laying clutches of 4-6 eggs deep in their mesa burrows every year. Eggs gestate for about six weeks before they hatch, at which point the male will go on a rampage to find food for the little ones while the female guards the nest.

Growth Rate & Stages

Newly hatched yarghur are almost helpless for the first week, but are crawling about the bounds of the nest almost instantly. At about the four week mark, they begin to test their wings in earnest and can be successful hunters by six weeks; albeit unskilled. They will remain with their parents for up to three months before the adult begins to look upon them as competition instead of progeny.

Ecology and Habitats

With their impossibly hard beak, the yarghur will carve out small burrows near the tops of mesas for protection from other predators. A pile of bones at the bottom of a mesa is a sure sign that yarghur has made their home there.

Dietary Needs and Habits

This is a predatory creature, favouring small lizards and other creatures it can swallow whole. They will tangle with larger creatures, such as kobolds and lizardfolk, if they outnumber them and/or are hungry enoug.

Additional Information

Domestication

They can be trained, but are often prone to bouts of wanderlust.

Average Intelligence

They are a cunning hunter, seeming to understand the concept of ambush and pretending to abandon their quarry if that quarry be able to defend itself.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Extremely keen eyesight.

Lifespan

25 years

Average Height

1.2m tall for an adult

Average Weight

35kg

Average Length

1.4m long from beak to tip of the tail, with a 2.5m wingspan.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The scales are often marbled in various shades of blue and grey, with dark eyes.

Geographic Distribution

• Xarobganer