Bonegnawer Bonegnawers were large birds of prey native to the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine . They were admired and respected for their grace and beauty by the planet ' s inhabitants . However , they also had a fearsome reputation because of their speed and a pair of jaws that were reputed to be capable of crushing rock . Bonegnawers had a lifespan of thirty to forty years . Baby bonegnawers , also known as " gnawlets " , could make sound within hours , but it would be a matter of a few days before they gained sight . The diet of gnawlets consisted of marrow extracted from the bones of their parents ' prey . They bore little resemblance to the striking birds that they would grow up to be . Young bonegnawers typically remained with their parents until they were capable of defending themselves , which was about three years from the day that they were born . Upon leaving their parents , male bonegnawers would set out on their own and try to find areas that were not protected by other males . A male bonegnawer ' s dominion covered an area of approximately 30 kilometers in diameter from his nest , and it served as his hunting grounds . Male bonegnawers were extremely territorial creatures and defended their dominion if it was trespassed upon by other males or mated pairs . Females , on the other hand , embraced communal living initially by forming a flock with their sisters . They eventually formed larger flocks with other females , who nested together and would not try to make other creatures leave their area . Female bonegnawers would do most of their hunting when Tatoo I and Tatoo II had sunk below Tatooine ' s horizon . Adult bonegnawers of both sexes had a scarlet breast and tail , as well as a black beak . Their wingspan ranged from eight to ten meters , which made their colorful plumage visible from long distances . The color of a male ' s wings ranged from a deep purple to a bright blue while the female ' s wings appeared to be golden or the color of the desert sand . After mating , adult bonegnawers formed a permanent bond with each other . This bond caused them to shun contact with all other bonegnawers . The territory of a mated pair was approximately 60 kilometers in diameter from their nest , and they were just as protective of their territory as a solitary male could be expected to be . This was especially true when the pair were parents . The nests of bonegnawers were carved out of large rocks in Tatooine ' s wastes . Since they were not migratory , bonegnawers would only relocate under adverse circumstances . Bonegnawer nests were often littered with the shards of the bones of their prey — something of a testament to their rather unique diet . For hunting , bonegnawers were equipped with strong eyes , which they used to spot prey such as womp rats , young banthas and humanoids from a great distance . They could see twice as far as a Human and could even distinguish different colors in poorly lit areas . Most surface creatures were unable to outrun bonegnawers since their wings allowed them to be both fast and silent . They would catch smaller prey in their beaks and tried to kill larger prey by slamming it into the ground at high speeds . The rows of teeth and the strong jaws of the bonegnawer ' s beak allowed them to get to what appeared to be their favorite prey — young cliffborer worm s . Bonegnawers would breed only three or for times during their lifetime . Of the eight to ten eggs that the female laid , four to seven would not make it to the point of hatching after fourteen months . This was usually due to the eggs being moved in the wrong way , being exposed to cold for too long a period , or falling prey to natural predators and poachers . Bonegnawers consumed the meat of their prey right where they killed it , but brought the prey ' s bones back to their nest . Over the course of several days , bonegnawers cracked open the bones and would either feed the marrow to gnawlings or eat it themselves . It was from this behavior that the bonegnawer gained its name . Though the bonegnawer was feared by many natives of Tatooine , it was also respected by them — especially the Tusken Raiders , who viewed them as emblematic of strength and courage . Swoop riders , landspeeder racers and skyhopper pilots believed that they served as great decals for their vehicles . Others saw bonegnawers as a lucrative business . Since gnawlets fixated on the first creature that they saw with their eyes as a parent , bonegnawers were easily domesticable creatures and made excellent hunters and guard animals . The financial benefits that came from the sale of gnawlets resulted in hunters and poachers taking extreme risks to steal the eggs from their parents . Behind the scenes . was cited as being the only source for the bonegnawer entry in each edition of " A Guide to the Star Wars Universe " . While the book itself does refer to " bone - gnawers " it only appears to refer to them in the sense that they are some sort of scavenger . There is no apparent reference to them being " flying creatures " nor any apparent reference to the strength of their jaws .