Xowror

The Xowrors are a crow like bird about the size of the bald eagle from earth they are scavengers and will eat whatever they find - opportunistic feeders - they will eat anything from fruits and berries to meat and flesh, they tend to pick left over bits of meat off of bones and carcasses left behind after an aershaa, furr or human has finished with it. They act very much like crows/ravens of earth and are just as intelligent if not more so, they are also similar to magpies in the fact that they will steal shiny objects to decorate their nests.
Males have head crests, long tail feathers and long feathers that spurt from the shoulder area - Just above where the wings attach to the body - these feathers are for display, tail and head feathers are used to attract a mate were as the back feathers combined with the head crest is a defensive display. Females are generally dull in color in comparison to males who are very brightly colored, this speice are widespread over the Drey mainly in warmer temperatures, most wouldn't survive in the arctic areas of the drey as their feathers are not designed to keep them warm in snowy regions they also would not be able to camouflage as easily.
Their vocal calls are like a mix of a crow and a kookaburra however, they are intelligent enough to speak english and mimic sounds they hear like mocking birds and parrots can. They are fairly popular companions for aershaa, furrs and humans, they rarely seek out others help, but they do like to travel with these larger animals for free food and other perks.
==Overview==
Xowror's are a widely spread bird creature that is very intelligent and adaptable to their environments. They are a fairly popular human pet, though other humans use them for other things. They also make great companions for aershaa, and tend to help alert their companions of danger. Their loud alarm calls can travel up to a mile, depending on seriousness, however most use smaller cherpy alarms if the threat is extremely close to them. Their cherps often warn plated deer and other prey animals of dangers too, which can cause issues for aershaa hunting for food.
Their calls vary widely, from small cherps and chattering when they are comunicating with each other, to loud crowing calls to alart others of danger. These loud crowing sounds are also used when doing a defensive displays, where as whistles and singing calls are used in the mating display to try to draw the females attention. Females are able to comunicate through pitches that most creatures cant hear, these sounds are mostly used during mating, and when caring for their young.
Xowror eggs are a delicousy to snakes, plyfans and other omnivourous creatures, they are a creamy brown coloration with black speckles on the shells. Spotting on the eggs differs from one to another, no egg ever looks the same. The chicks hatch without feathers like most birds of earth, and totally rely on their parents up till adolesonce, at this point they will have their full plumage and will be practicing their flying skills. Its not long after this that the chicks fly the nest and go to find themsleves a territory of their own.
Average life expectancy is any where from 50 - 70 years, though some may live longer if in good health. Average wingspan is about 9ft, though individuals may vary, average weight is about 284oz. Xowror's are built more for gliding like hawks rather than agile high speed flight, but they are quite agile and quick for their size.
==Appearance==
Xowror's share similarities with the bald eagles and ravens of earth, the tail feathers are the same length as the macaws from earth, the wingspan is as wide as the albatross from earth and the overall size is similar to that of the bald eagle of earth. Male Xowrors have cockatoo o like head crest with slightly longer tail feathers that can be held up and fanned out in displays, the males also have long feathers that sprout out from the back of the neck/shoulder area just above where the wings attach to the body, these long feathers tend to drape over the wings when the wings are tucked in, these feathers can be raised and flattened to fit the situation and can be used in displays too. The feathers on the males' backs tend to give them a fluffy look due to the feathers naturally curving over the body and creating a pocket of air under them, this can help them to regulate their internal body temperature. Female Xowrors lack the back feathers and have slightly shorter tail feathers, however they do still have crests, but the female crests are shorter and not as brightly colored as their male counterparts.
=== Coloration ===
Females are generally duller than the males who usually have brighter richer colors. Males with brighter colors are usually more likely to find a mate and reproduce compared with less brightly colored males. Males use these bright colors for displays, be it a mating display or an aggressive display, these bright colors are what decides the males fate. Females are dull in color so that they can camoflage whilst sat on a nest of eggs, these dull colors don't attract attention as much as the males bright colors do, also females do not need to display to a mate so the bright feathers would be a hindrance rather than a helpful adaptation. However bright colored females have been seen in captive breedings these females are usually less fertile and lack the skills to raise their young, it's thought that the females with bright colors are more masculine and that can explain the lack of fertility and maternal instinct.
Xowror's from different regions tend to have different colors, see below to see what the differences are!
Listhrean Xowrors tend to be much brighter and richer colors, males often displaying strong contrasting colors, such as blues and reds. The females are also a lot brighter in Listhrea, as their are fewer preditors to worry about, however females still tend to be in earthly tones for camoflage.
Hasseran males are usually a mid brightness, not too bright but not to suttle, however there have been sightings of very dull colored males here too. Though the duller males tend not to reproduce as females are not attracted to the duller colors and mistake the male for another female. Females are usually browns, blacks, cream or dull greens, but are a little brighter than their Jiskadar counter parts.
Jiskidar males are a lot duller in color, its thought that this is due to the higher population of humans on the island, however brighter males are still more likely to breed over the duller ones. Males tend to be colored more of defence here, so most have dull base colors with brighter patterns on them to warn threats away. Females are also a lot darker and duller, ranging from blacks to dull browns.
Sundast Xowror's are much more varied, its thought that they are the results of individuals from different regions mix breeding, the Sundast variaty are often refered to as the hybrids. Although proper 'hybrids' are bred in captivity and come in unnatural colors and markings. Individuals who are spotted in Siyria are pale in color, so that they can camoflage in snowy areas, its also thought that the sun glaring off of the snow bleaches their feathers causing their colors to fade.
Hybrids - Captive bred Xowrors are refered to as hybrids or blood bound, due to the differing variations being mixed to such an extent that results in strange markings and colors being created. Marking such as pied is a hybrid only marking, these are extremely rare and only occur after a few generations of breeding, there is not set mix that causes this paradox. Pieds can not be line bred to produce more pieds, they just tend to pop up from time to time. Albinos and lusistics are also a result of mix breeding, and are also pretty rare, however they are a lot more common than pieds. There are many of other paradox traits that have been produced through breedings, and all are strictly ristricted to tame Xowrors only.
==Temperament==
Xowror's are solitary creatures and only come together for breeding seasons, males will display their plumage off to the female or females, and which ever she thinks has given the best display is the one who gets to mate with her. Xowror's are very territorial, males more so than females, two males will usually fight to the death over territory. Females are way more tolorant with others in their territory, and it often to see multiple females in one area. However if a female has a nest she will become much more aggresive and will often chase off other females. In general Xowror's are calm and friendly, and most are very vocal creatures.
Xowror's are very intelligent and are always trying to solve some sort of task, huamns saw this trait as a huge possibility for the use of Xowror's to help with stealing coin or other shiny things from others, as Xowrors have a love for shiny things and will do anything to get their beaks on it. Other humans see it as a possiblity for a friendly companion, or even for breeding to sell for decent coin. Xowror's are intelligent enough to mimic words, sounds or phrases they hear, in the wild they tend to use this to mimic their preditors to make the preditor think twice about attacking. However in captivity they mimic human speach, and are similar to parots in that respect, however they are able to understand what they are saying by how the human reacts to the word or phrase. They learn very quickly, which doesn't help humnas who wish to use them for the meat trade, as they will soon find out what the humans are doing.
==Diet==
Xowror's are omnivorous and oppitunistic feeders, they will eat pretty much whatever they can find. They are able to hunt down their own food, but they will choose scavanging over hunting any day, it means they have more energy to fight off any threats that may come along. How ever if they can't find any meat to scavange from they will often resort to eatting berries and fruits. It has also been known that they will gorge themselves on fermented fruits, its unknown why they do this, but it's thought that the bacteria that grows on the fermenting fruit is used to boost their immune systems. This usually occours around the breeding seasons, as if they clense their bodies of any bad bacteria to prove to their potental mates that they are fit and healthy to breed. During the hardships of the winter months most Xowrors will flock together in warmer areas sharing what little food supplies they can find, this does provoke a lot of tention between the individuals, and results in fights to the death. However they will always put youngsters and elders first, and those individuals will get fed before others.
Most Xowror prefer meat over fruits, but they know that it is hard to come by, and most canivors don't wish to share their kills. A lot of Xowror's love to eat fish, and it has been known for them to hunt for fish frequently because they enjoy the taste so much, however fishing comes with risks. If an Xowror was to fall into the water or get its wings wet at all, they will not be able to get out again unless they were able to get to the land again. It does not cause any long lasting issues, but they could die if the can't get out of the water. Most Xowror's will stick to the trees for safety, and will even survive on water droplets on leaves if they don't feel safe going to the nearest river or lake.
==Habitat==
Xowror's are very adaptable to their environments, however they are not able to survive in the harsh cold of the arctic regions on the drey, most will die if left out in severe cold. Xowror's thrive in warm temprate forests and savanas. It is common to find Xowror's in the forests of Hasseran, Jiskadar, Sundast and Listhrea, however there aren't too many in Listhrea as most find it hard to find decent nesting trees. There have been sightings of Xowror's in Siyria, but in the warmer areas, and most don't live as long as individuals that live in much warmer climates. Xowror's are usually solitary creatures, only coming together to display for a mate and to breed. However during winter months large flocks are seen to swarm together, its unknown why they do this, but its thought that they do it to try to help each other stay warm and fed.
Females tend to prefer nesting in the tallest trees in their territory, and its not unheard of females stealing each others nests, or even kicking another females eggs out and planting her own in that nest for the other female to raise. Once a female has abandoned or reared her young she is ready to mate again. Nests are usually large and made of leaves and twigs, and decorated with shiny objects such as coins, jewels or metal. Males tend to stick around to help his mate rear their chicks, and will bring his mate shiny things for the nest, as soon as the chicks are ready to fledge the males leave to find a new female to breed with. Males tend to have larger territories than females, and a single males territory would overlap any where from 2-6 females territories.
==Lore & Culture==
Xowror's are used by humans and furrs for many different resions, such as pets, food, to steal shiny valuble things, some humans even keep them for the pleasure of breeding the rarer colorations. Hybrids are sometimes used in shows, but most are very valuble and are sold for a decent price, however wild Xowror's aren't as valuble so its unlikely that hunters would bother with them. Due to the effort involved in breeding the rarer and more valuble colors and markings. Xowror's are common companions for pirates, due to their love of shiny things and their intelligence. However pirates aren't the only thing that find Xowror's great company, a lot of aershaa like to reak the benifits of having an Xowror as a companion, as Xowrors are great at alerting all creatures around if there is danger. Wingless Aershaa also benifit from having an Xowror as a companion due to the Xowror's being a flighted bird, if the aershaa can't reach something they need, their Xowror would be able to get it for them.
Larger Aershaa also would benifit from having an Xowror as a companion, as Xowror's are quick and agile flyers, and they are also small enough to fit into places a large aershaa may struggle to get to. Some humans think that Xowror's are considered unlucky, as Xowrors often steal coins and such from humans, and some humans see this as a sign of bad luck. They like to think that seeing an Xowror will make you lose something very valuble, like a loved one or losing your home or the like. However this tale is completely untrue, seeing an Xowror will never make a human lose anything that serious, the most they would lose is a few coins.
XXMacoyXx (talk) 08:45, September 8, 2014 (UTC)