Bird-like Creatures

Bird-like creatures, such as phoenixes and rocs, are common in fantasy novels and imagination. Some are symbolized as being reborn, and others are signs of danger. This is where you’ll find information and name ideas for bird-like fantasy creatures.

Feel free to add (or suggest!) more bird-like creatures. Just remember to keep the same layout!

## Overview

These bird-like creatures stand out very clearly if you were to look at them around other birds. Phoenixes stand out because of their fire-like feathers and the all around majestic feeling around them; and might be around the size as your average bird of prey. Rocs, on the other hand, are giant birds of prey- far bigger than anything else, making them stand out by sheer height between them and the largest birds otherwise.

## Phoenixes

Phoenixes, or fire birds as they are referred to sometimes, are mystical birds symbolizing rebirth. They are known to turn into ashes, only to regain their appearances as beautiful fire birds.

### Appearance

In some works, phoenixes have been described as having a crest of feathers on their heads; sometimes even being associated with roosters. They seem to vary in size from person to person, ranging from the size of an eagle to something taller than an ostrich.

Colors are often red, yellow, or orange, but have also been described as having peacock-like coloring and can be quite vibrant and colorful. Some have been known to have red legs and yellow eyes, while others believe their eyes are sapphire blue and that the legs were covered with yellow-golden scales with rose-red talons.

Of course, even that leaves plenty of room for creativity in colors and designs.

### Way of Life

Phoenixes eat small insects, and live on their own island. Since they’re somewhat dangerous to be around, the only known species that can tame them is fairies.

Phoenixes are basically immortal due to their regular reincarnation cycles, and thus don’t often reproduce. It’s rare to see a pheonix that’s younger than one-hundred years old. It’s known how they treat their young.

Phoenixes are easily accepted as fire-aligned, and many fire-aligned elves respect them in that manner.

## Rocs

Rocs are literally giant birds of prey. Deadly, yet could most likely appear majestic like their fellow mythical birds; the phoenixes.

### Appearance

Being giant birds of prey, Rocs take on the colorations and builds of the birds they represent. For example, a bald eagle Roc would look exactly like a bald eagle-only much larger and a lot more intimidating.

They rival smaller species of dragons in height, the tallest around as tall as an average human; hatchlings about the size of a two year-old. They don’t pose as much as a threat to humans as some dragons might, but smaller villages have sighted these pests taking away with their livestock.

### Way of Life

Rocs are probably the simplest to describe of all of the animal-like creatures. They’re similar to other birds of prey in many ways; they eat meat of both larger and smaller animals, and they typically shove their hatchlings off the nest to test if they can fly. Sometimes, if a roc is very hungry—close to starving—it would eat it’s young, but that’s very rare and on average only happens once every two years.

Rocs have no elemental alignment whatsoever, although some consider them dark-aligned.

## Basilisk

Also associated with Cockatrices, their fellow chicken-like creature, Basalisks are one of the creatures you really won’t want to be around. They have a literal petrifying gaze that can turn almost anyone into stone.

### Appearance

Basilisks are simply chickens that can turn you to stone. They appear as any normal chicken would, making them easily mistaken in most cases.

### Way of Life

Basilisks don’t like each other or outsiders. Oftentimes they hide in the wilderness, and those who see them are turned to stone. As such, not much is known about how they live. It is known, however, that they abandon their young before they even hatch, and that they eat seeds and small insects.

They have no elemental alignment, despite some scholars arguing that they’re dark-aligned.

## Name Ideas

Here’s some helpful generators for all of the creatures above (or a generator that will closely fit).

* phoenixes
	+ phoenix names; try thinking of rebirth, and what kinds of elements are associated with such things, or fire and things associated with that.
* rocs
	+ roc names; try thinking of things related to birds. Beak, talon, claw. Then think of something to describe that. In no time, you have Sharpbeak, Quicktalon, and Razorclaw!
* basilisks
	+ basilisk names

## Bases

Here are some bases for all of the creatures above. Some may be simple birds, but some may be actually changed noticeably, depending on the artist. Please credit the artist of the base.