Great blue windrunner (SciiFii)

The great blue windrunner (Tetracornutornis caeruleus) is a species of gruiform, most closely related to the cranes, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the warm, cool, and cold areas of North America, primarily in hilly and mountainous regions, to help boost biodiversity. The great blue windrunner is a rather large bird, growing to be about 5.5 feet (1.6 meters) tall and having a wingspan of up to about 9.8 feet (3 meters). The great blue windrunners are omnivores and primarily feeds on seeds, leaf litters, insects, and spiders, especially silver spiders, with the reflective sheen of silver spiders and their great webs, this can attract the unwanted attention of great blue windrunners, which swoop down to feed on the spiders that scurry about busily on the silken fibers. Great blue windrunners favor seeds and arthropods as food, for both the adults themselves to eat as well as to feed hungry chicks back at their nests. The great blue windrunner has long, narrow wings, like those of an albatross, sweeping them up towards the distant peaks at high speed, skimming the tops of the grass trees and other rocky outcrops. The great blue windrunners spend nearly all their lives in flight, soaring and drifting on upthrusts of wind. The great blue windrunner needs only short periods of rest. As it reaches the highest peaks, it switches to glide and naps for a few minutes, in a manner similar to a swift. The great blue windrunner can soar at high altitudes, making use of its long narrow wings. At low speeds, the bird requires greater maneuverability, and so deploys an additional pair of wings from its legs for extra surface area and uplift. The great blue windrunner's wings are ideal for covering the great distances between the scattered feeding sites of the hilly and mountainous regions. Descending to the sites to feed, on the other hand, calls for low speed maneuverability. For that, a broad wing is needed. To overcome this obstacle, the great blue windrunner has developed a "second set" of wings. Feathered and muscled legs, which are normally folded back behind the bird, are brought forward when low speeds are required. When deployed, the wing-legs are held slightly upwards, improving stability. The bird's flight surface is now increased, providing extra uplift and allowing it to cut its speed and dive with great agility. Additional control is given by canards (feathery projections at each side of the head). At about 32,808 feet (10,000 meters) or more, the thin air provides little protection from ultraviolet light, so the great blue windrunner's metallic blue coloration helps to reflect ultraviolent light, but its eyes also need shielding. Like all birds, the great blue windrunner has a nictitating membrane, or third eyelid. In addition, the great blue windrunner's nictitating membranes are polarized, forming a pair of natural sunglasses. Adapted in this way, the great blue windrunner uses ultraviolent light to its advantage. Females identify males by their rich patterns, which are only visible under ultraviolent light. The conservation status of the great blue windrunner is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the great blue windrunner's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii