Huntyres

[Wish]

Anatomy:
Huntyres are a bird-like creature found only around Trelis. They are much like hawks in appearance, except their coloring is much more colorful, being like parrots. The types of Huntyres found have expanded from three basic colors to five, consisting of three males and two females. Rainbow Huntyres, which are the dominant male, have multiple colors on them. Often they will have multiple arrays of reds, blues, greens, purples and oranges. The second male is called a Lunar Huntyre. The Lunars have either white or silver bodies with soft blue, gray or green plumes mixed in. Forest Huntyres, being a female of the species, are duller in colour. They generally will have bodies consisting of brown, tan, gray and green plumes. The two newer colors are Nightshades, medium-sized males with dark gray or black feathers and markings in other colors, and Sunsets, smaller females of bright reds, oranges, and yellows.

Body wise, besides being hawk like in appearance, they have large, broad wings, a sharp beak and slender talons. Usually a slate gray or black color, their beak is used to both crack open nuts of fruits and berries, and to get into shells of little sea creatures or rip into land prey. One of the most beautiful things about Huntyres is that they have two longer plumes twice the size of their tail feathers that trail behind them. They look almost like peacock feathers because they have an "eye-spot" at the bottom of them.

Lifestyle:
Unlike some other creatures on Pern, Huntyres are a male dominant society. Ruled by the strongest Rainbow or Nightshade in the flock, the rest of the birds follow his command. In a Weyr's setting, the Huntyres are a bit more relaxed. Instead, they will follow their bonded. The second in command is always a female. Because they bring forth the new generation, and are less common than the even smaller Lunar breed, they are well taken care of within Huntyre societies. Lunars are the omegas of the society, if you will. Being the smallest and most common of the types, scores of the pale creatures can be found around Trelis.

Mating/Clutching:
When a Forest or Sunrise is about to rise, all males interested, whether they be Rainbow or Nightshade or Lunar, chase her. The female will choose their partner based on who impresses her with their flying skills. Often, especially in the wild, whenever a female starts showing signs of rising, the males around her will start courting. This is usually done by following her around, or "shadowing", or by giving her presents of tasty fruits, beautiful shells and/or pebbles.

A female Huntyre will clutch from 4-12 eggs. It depends mostly on what kind of male catches her. A Rainbow or Nightshade for instance will result in a larger clutch, while a Lunar will result in a smaller one. Not all eggs are viable though. While there are instances where all the eggs successfully hatch, most clutches will have dud eggs. A clutch of 12 eggs, for example, typically has about 4 duds. The mother will stay around her clutch and defend it with her life while it hardens. Often times, even the most docile of females will become aggressive during this time. The other females in the flock also take turns protecting the eggs, and no two females will clutch at the same time to ensure the safety of the young.

Eye colors:
Compared to dragons, Huntyres have a different set of emotion-linked eye colors. They are as follows...

Gold/Amber- Content or Happy
Blue- Hunting or Hunger
Green- Alert or fearful
Purple- Anger
Red- Mating Lust
White- Pain or Death

[Wish]

*Sizing for Huntyres is in feet and measures the height of the bird.*

Appearance
Rainbows are the largest of the five breeds. Made up of multiple colors, often varying shades of reds, purples, blues, greens and oranges, they are easily spotted among Trelis. In addition to the two plumes that reach down past their tail feathers, they also have a crest. This will move and flare out when expressing emotions.

Personality
Regal and Dominant to Caring and Gentle

Chasing
Rainbows mature and begin chasing females any time after 12 months.

Size
1.5 - 2 feet

Appearance
Unlike their Rainbow brothers who are filled with multiple hues, or their smaller Lunar brethren that are silver and ice, Nightshades are mainly shades and tints of Gray and Black. However, those colors are often broken apart by a variety of colors such as purple, pink, green and blue. Any color that can find itself in a Rainbow's plumes can be found on a Nightshade's, but only one color will accompany the darker grayscale feathers. Like the Rainbows and Lunars, these males also have a crest of feathers.

Personality
Aggressive and Loner to Reluctant Leader and Aloof

Chasing
Nightshades mature at roughly 12 months.

Size
1.3-1.8 feet

Appearance
Forests are the midsized Huntyre in the group. Being the larger of two females, and the more common, they are also more dully colored so that they are not hunted as often as the other ones. Their bodies generally consist of browns, tans, grays and greens. Unlike males, they do not have crests. Instead, they have some extra feathers around their necks which will puff out. These are often used to help warm the eggs, and are even plucked to decorate and soften the nest.

Personality
Protective and Territorial to Feisty and Vain

Clutching
Forests mature any time after 12 months of age and will rise once every Turn or two. They rise less frequently when surrounded by large numbers of other females. They generally will clutch about 4-12 eggs. However there are almost always duds in the clutch.

Size
1-1.5 feet

Appearance
Amazingly for a female bird, Sunsets are little rays of sunshine cast in orange, reds and yellow. Even pinks and light grays can be found wiggling their way into the plumage, but it always has a bright and eye-catching pattern. Like all females the Sunsets have extra plumes around their chests to help keep the eggs warm.

Personality
Sweet and Mothering to Demanding and Proud

Clutching
Sunsets mature at roughly 12 months and rise 2 times a turn. They may clutch 3-8 eggs.
Female huntyres are very social animals. It is not unusual to see many females from an area caring for a single clutch.

Size
1-1.3 feet

Appearance
Lunars are like any of the other breeds in shape, though their coloring is very pale and ghostly. Their bodies consist mainly of a white or silver color, and then they also have plumes that are either gray, green, or blue. Like the other males, they possess a crest of feathers in addition to their tail plumes. With their white or silver feathers, they stand out among the jungle terrain around Trelis.

Personality
Submissive and Docile to Trickster and Fun-Loving

Chasing
Lunars mature and begin chasing any time after 12 months of age.

Size
Roughly 1 foot

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