Seipa (seɪ·pʌ)
These birds use skulls as their preferred nests, laying their eggs inside. When at least one of a mated pair grows too ill or feeble, the healthier of the two will eat the weaker, eventually laying their eggs in his now empty skull. She then chooses a distant location to die at, closer to another animal's nest, in hope that a predator will eat her and the other nest's eggs instead of her last brood.
Seipa's grim life cycle is heavily associated with Paezamity, used as a symbol of death, rebirth, loyalty to family, and the treachery of survival. The primary goddess, Paezamei, is described as a feathered saikkot with an open skull, her brood nest hidden within.
Basic Information
Anatomy
These birds are raven-sized with two legs, two wings, and a long beak. Their bodies are ovular with long-ish tail feathers. The sandy feathers are sprinkled with dark spots simulating clumps of grass as camoflauge against larger flying predators.
LEGS/FEET: In proportion to the rest of their body, their legs are abnormally long, especialy when including their feet. Their toes are in an antisodactyl formation, with the front three being elongated.
WINGS/TAIL: For soaring on favorable wind currents, their wings are long and narrow, similar to a seagull's or albatross' wings. Their tail feathers are slightly long, and can fan out or layer tightly into a line-like shape.
BEAK: The seipa beak is thin and long, perfect for probing at hidden sounds beneath the sand. Their beak is surprising strong, able to snap invertebrates like scorpions, beetles, and spiders.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Seipa have incredibley strong hearing, while their sight is much more limited. They can hear movements under deep dunes, up to a mile away. Their sight, however, is limited by blurriness. They can indeed see objects from far distances, but they will appear as blurry shapes. They mainly focus on their hearing when hunting, while eyesight is used more often for predators. Seipa avoid any larger or similarly-sized objects they see, unless they are looking for a mate.
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