Sith warbird The Sith warbird was a species of flightless bird from the planet Khar Delba that was commonly used as an artillery mount by the Sith , a Force - sensitive species from the world Korriban . By the time of the arrival of Dark Jedi Exiles on the planet Korriban around 6900 BBY , warbirds were a mainstay of the Massassi infantry of the Sith Empire , and the birds were later used by the Sith Empire of the fallen Jedi Exar Kun during the Great Sith War . Sith warbirds were notorious for their bad temper , and they typically used their large size to ram and trample down their prey . Biology and appearance . Sith warbirds were large , flightless birds from the icy planet Khar Delba . When fully grown , they stood at approximately six meters in height from ground to top of the head , and ten meters long from head to tail . In place of wings , warbirds had two short dual - clawed arms , and the birds also sported two legs and a large , blunt beak , which was used for devouring prey . Their feathers ranged from yellow to yellowish - green in color , and they had two eyes , with iris colors ranging from black to blue . The creatures also had extremely thick hides , which allowed hooks and spikes to be embedded into the sides of domesticated warbirds without causing the creatures to come to harm . Behavior . Sith warbirds were predators and were notorious for their bad tempered nature , attacking anything that they saw as a threat . Though lacking in power , warbirds could move with great speed and maneuverability ; they typically used their large size to ram and trample their prey , and they were also known to use their large beaks to gore their enemies . History . Warbirds originated on the planet Khar Delba in the Stygian Caldera , where they inhabited the world ' s frozen mountains . Khar Delba lay within the bounds of the Sith Empire , a civilization established by the Force - sensitive Sith species , and , during the early history of the Empire , the birds were discovered and subsequently domesticated by the Sith . In the midst of an ancient conflict in which the Empire became embroiled , the domesticated warbirds were pressed into military service to be used as artillery mounts , as was common practice for tamed animals within the Empire at the time . By the time of the arrival of Dark Jedi Exiles on Korriban around 6900 BBY following their banishment from the Galactic Republic , warbird mounts were mainstays of the Massassi infantry forces employed by the Sith , and the Dark Jedi alchemist Sorzus Syn mentioned the creatures in a chronicle of her encounters with the Sith . The first Sith Empire ultimately collapsed in 5000 BBY , and warbirds were later used by the Sith Empire of the fallen Jedi Exar Kun during the Great Sith War in 3996 BBY . Sith warbirds in the galaxy . Sith warbirds saw common usage among the military forces of the Sith Empire as battle mounts , and when employed for combat purposes , the birds were fitted to carry battle harness es , which contained a cockpit to house the rider and a mounted blaster cannon supported by a fusion generator . The Sith used the birds as mobile platforms that were deployed in front of infantry columns to weaken enemy ground - based troops . During the Great Sith War , the creatures were also commonly used for scouting and reconnaissance assignments because , as living creatures , they were less likely to be spotted by enemy detection devices . After the end of the Great Sith War , Sith warbirds continued to be found throughout the galaxy , with survivors of the conflict breeding on worlds where battles had been fought by the Sith . These wild - once - more warbirds were prone to terrorizing local forms of wildlife that posed little threat to them . Behind the scenes . The Sith warbirds were created by Michael Mikaelian and were first mentioned in " The Sith Compendium " , an article that appeared in the 2001 Wizards of the Coast magazine " Star Wars Gamer 5 " . The warbirds later received a further mention in the 2004 roleplaying sourcebook " Ultimate Adversaries " , which became the first source to provide a visual depiction of the creatures , in by the artist Matt Hatton . Subsequently , the birds received an entry in the 2008 compendium " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , and were referenced within the " Jedi Academy Training Manual " of 2009 and the 2012 reference book " " , both of which expanded upon the history and usage of the birds among the Sith .