Ground Owls

Ground Owls are large ground-dwelling owls, and one of the four sapient species on the planet. Quite similar in appearance to the true little owls, except on a much bigger scale, they have become well-known fixtures of modern society.
Ground Owls seem to have an instinctive affinity for magic in the Earth-Air Continuum, and many cultures have religious and social traditions based around Earth or Air magic. Many Ground Owls habitually use Air magic to help power their natural flight capabilities.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Ground Owls are large ground-dwelling birds, equally adapted for both flight and walking on the ground. They have long, powerful legs and broad wings, which allow them both to have surprising speed and stamina running or walking on the ground, and also remarkable stamina in the air, flying for many hours without a pause.
Ground Owls do not possess opposable thumbs on their forelimbs, which are adapted exclusively for flight. Instead, they manipulate tools and objects with their legs and beaks. Although they are often quite dexterous with their talons, activities requiring more than one limb are quite difficult for Ground Owls to achieve without extreme discomfort. Because of this, no known Ground Owl cultures have ever independently developed sophisticated technology, such as stone knapping or smelting, instead stealing or trading for tools created by nearby humans.

Genetics and Reproduction

Ground Owls almost universally nest in small permanent underground structures, or at the very least in small windowless rooms. The size, shape, and material a nest is made of varies from group to group and region to region, but most completely fill the "nesting room" and are oval or circular, about 8 ft. in diameter, and are usually quite flat and shallow.
During egg-laying, usually only one or two eggs are produced a day, over a period of several days. A female Ground Owl may produce up to 12 eggs in a single clutch; however, 3-5 is more common. The eggs must be incubated almost constantly, and nesting Ground Owls must be provided for, and are very vulnerable to threats. In many Ground Owl societies, the upper class would hire a "nesting nurse" to incubate their eggs, which allowed them a great deal of social freedom and mobility. Generally speaking, females are the nesters; however, in some cultures, males may also participate.
In many more technologically advanced parts of the world, artificial incubation, through heaters, became quite prevalent in the latter half of the (MOSTRECENT) century, but there is a growing movement which advocates a return to natural nesting, citing scientific studies which indicate that naturally-incubated chicks may be healthier, develop faster, and are less prone to conditions such as asthma later in life.
Egg incubation lasts approximately 18 weeks, after which time the first of the eggs begin to hatch. Other eggs will continue to hatch over the next several days.

Growth Rate & Stages

Ground Owl chicks are hatched with a covering a fluffy white down. They are blind and almost entirely helpless, and spend most of their time sleeping. During this stage of development, Ground Owl chicks are unable to fully regulate their body temperature, and must be incubated by a mother, nesting nurse, or incubating heater, or they may freeze to death.
Between 4-6 weeks after hatching, the chicks will begin to open their eyes and can regulate their own body temperature. They also become more mobile, quickly learning to walk or waddle on two feet. By the age of two, chicks are capable of running, and most will have begun to speak their first words.
Ground Owl chicks begin growing their flight feathers very shortly after hatching, and by the age of about five, most chicks will have a full set of adult flight feathers, and will begin learning to fly. A chick's first flight is seen as a momentous occasion in most Ground Owl cultures, and many have special traditions or celebration regarding the first flight. From that age on, Ground Owls molt once a year, usually in the early spring.
Young Ground Owls generally reach sexual maturity at around the age of 14-15 years old, though they may not attain their fully height and wingspan until 20 or older.

Ecology and Habitats

Although they are capable of living in just about any environment, Ground Owls tend to prefer living in open plains, prairies, deserts, and other areas with few trees. Their large wingspans make it difficult to fly in heavily forested areas, which impedes their traditional hunting styles. As technology and globalization have advanced, Ground Owls have left their traditional prairie homes and become part of the fabric of human and Salamander urban centers, since individual Ground Owls no longer need to hunt and kill their own food to survive.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Although they can and sometimes do ingest plant material such as fruit, seeds, and nuts, the vast majority of a Ground Owl's diet consists of meat. Like non-sapient birds of prey, Ground Owls will fly through the air, hunting for smaller prey animals, and then will drop upon their targets, piercing them with their sharp talons. This traditional method of hunting has continued throughout the ages into the modern day in some cultures; however, in many parts of the world, the availability and abundance of farmed, butchered meat has lessened or in some cases eliminated the need for active hunting from the modern Ground Owl's diet.
Ground Owls, like most birds, do not possess teeth, and so cannot chew their food, instead swallowing it whole. They often consume even indigestible portions of their meal, such as bones, skin, fur, and feathers, and later regurgitate the inedible material as a small, densely-packed pellet. In modern societies, where many Ground Owls consume fully cooked, prepared meals without bone or fur left on the animals, Loose Pellet Syndrome has become a widespread health concern. The most common home treatment for LPS is for Ground Owls to consume wads of indigestible material, such as cotton, immediately after eating, in order to produce a healthy pellet.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Like humans, Ground Owls are highly social, and create complex social structures which vary from region to region and group to group.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

It is generally believed that Ground Owls first evolved in the grasslands, steppes, and deserts of (SouthwesternSubcontinent), eventually migrating north and east across (Supercontinent), and to the archipelagos via boat. Ground Owls also reached (Continent) between 31,000 and 27,000 years ago, via a land bridge from (EasternSubcontinent) during the last glacial maximum.

Average Intelligence

Ground Owls are among the four sapient species of the planet, just as intelligent as humans, Salamanders, and Lightning Bugs.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Ground Owls have excellent eyesight, but are much better known for their excellent hearing. A Ground Owl is capable of hearing very minute sounds that humans would not be able to, and can often accurately triangulate the origin of such sounds to within a few inches, even without seeing whatever is making the noise.

Civilization and Culture

Common Dress Code

Up until quite recently, Ground Owls very rarely wore clothing of any kind, the only exceptions being the heavy winter coats and foot coverings of the arctic tribes. For the most part, this was for two reasons; first, because sewing, spinning, and weaving were all difficult, highly laborious processes for Ground Owls, without hands, and secondly, because clothing would impede flight. In modern times, Ground Owls are more likely to wear leggings and vests, usually manufactured by humans.

Also known as

Owlfok

Scientific Name

Athene sapiens

Lifespan

68 years

Average Height

128-149 cm (4.2-4.8 ft)

Average Weight

20-41 kg (44-90 lb)

Average Length

(Wingspan) 328-398 cm (10.8-13.1 ft)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Adult Ground Owls have brown, tan, or tawny feathers on their head, wings, and back with white spotting. Their abdomen and the undersides of their wings are white, buff, or cream in color, and some ethnicities have brown spotting or barring. Almost all ethnicities have light-colored markings on the face around the eyes and beak, although the amount of contrast between the face feathers and head feathers varies from group to group. No two Ground Owls have the exact same feather patterns.

Geographic Distribution

• The World