Leprechaun

The **leprechaun** (*Pecunia acervus*), also known as the **leprechaun bird**, is a species of corvid, most closely related to magpies, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across both the mainland and island regions of Eurasia and North America to help boost biodiversity.

The leprechaun has an average length of 30 centimeters (9–12 inches) from bill to tail and weighs up to 100 grams (3.5 oz), with a wingspan of about 43 centimeters (17 inches). The leprechaun is a brilliantly-colored bird, with a plumage consisting of greens and whites all over its body and, in the case of males, a thick, light brown feathery beard and a tall, dark green crest on his head. The bill and legs of both sexes are yellow in color. The leprechaun is an opportunistic omnivore, feeding mainly on insects, seeds, and berries, although the leprechaun may occasionally feed on carrion, small mammals, nuts, eggs, garbage, and food from pets that are fed outside when opportunity arises. Chicks are fed animal matter almost exclusively. Leprechauns typically forage on the ground, usually walking, sometimes hopping, and sometimes scratching with their feet to turn over ground litter. They sometimes land on large animals, such as moose, cattle, tapirs, elephants, and herbivorous dinosaurs, to pick at the ticks that often plague these animals. They sometimes follow large predators, such as wolves, to scavenge or steal from their kills.

Leprechauns often form loose flocks outside of the breeding season. Dominance hierarchies typically develop within such flocks, more linearly among males than among females. Dominants can steal food from subordinates. Aggressive interactions also occur at point sources of food. Surprisingly, young males appear dominant over adult males, though this may simply reflect the adults' better overall condition and consequent lack of motivation to engage in fights. Fights are rare and involve jumps and kicks. Dominance is more generally established through displays, such as stretching the body laterally with the bill raised, the nictitating membrane of the eye flashing (only on the side of the opponent), and, in the case of males, raising its tall, feathery head crest. Leprechauns often gather excitedly in trees near the body of a dead leprechaun, calling loudly, a poorly-understood behaviour called a funeral. Some individuals may approach the body and peck at its wings or tail.

During the breeding season, males will attract the females, not only by their "beards" and head crests, but also by collecting shiny objects, such as gold, and place them around the nests to lure in the females. Adult leprechaun pairs stay together year-round and often for life unless one dies, in which case the remaining leprechaun may find another mate. Divorces are occasionally reported, but are uncommon. Leprechauns nest individually, frequently toward the top of trees. Only the nest tree and its immediate surroundings are defended, and so it is possible for nests to be somewhat clumped in a location. When this happens (usually in areas with a limited number of trees or with abundant food resources), a diffuse colony is formed. Nests are cup-shaped with large accumulations of branches, twigs, grass, rootlets, bark strips, vines, needles, and other materials, while mud is used as anchor and in the nest cup. The nest cup is lined with fine rootlets, grass, and other soft material. Nests almost always include a hood or dome of loosely assembled twigs and branches, and usually have one or more side entrances. Nests are built by both sexes over 40–50 days, starting in February (though later in northern parts of the range). Old nests can be repaired and used, or a new nest can be built on top, with older nests thus reaching 120 centimeters high by 100 centimeters wide (48 inches high by 40 inches wide). Other bird species, including small hawks and owls, often use old leprechaun nests.

The breeding season for leprechauns is generally from late March to early July. They nest once a year, but may re-nest if their first attempt fails early. The female lays up to thirteen eggs, but the usual clutch size is six or seven. The eggs are greenish blue, marked with reddish browns, and 33 mm (about 1.3 inch) long. Only the female incubates, for 16–21 days. The male feeds the female throughout incubation. Hatching is often asynchronous. Hatched young are altricial, brooded by the female but fed by both sexes. They fly 3–4 weeks after hatching, feed with adults for about two months, and then fly off to join other juvenile magpies. Fledging success (usually 3–4 young per nest) is lower than clutch size; this is not an unusual state of affairs in species with asynchronous hatching, as some nestlings often die of starvation. Leprechauns reach sexual maturity at one or two years of age. The lifespan of the species in the wild is about 70 to 100 years, while captive specimens have lived to be up to 120 or 150 years, making it among the longest-living birds. The conservation status of the leprechaun is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the species' widespread range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.