Spurwings (Chionenes)
Note: As always, the company classifies aberrant organisms into groups referred to by the root form of the genus name of their ancestor species with the suffix -ene affixed.
On Gigas, large predatory birds highly reminiscent of the phorusrhacids roam Tsalal unchallenged.
On our Earth, Chionididae, the sheathbills, is a family containing a pair of Antarctic species. Only one, the black-faced sheathbill, inhabits the Kerguelen Islands. Named for a horny sheath found on its upper bill, the sheathbill is a medium sized bird closely related to the stone-curlews. Scavenging off of carrion and feces, and hunting beach-going invertebrates and the chicks of cormorants and penguins, the sheathbill scrapes by on the desolate island. On our Earth, populations of sheathbills are threatened by introduced cats and other organisms, though the black-faced sheathbill is still rated least concerns. On Gigas, they were able to grow and develop unopposed.
How did this relatively unknown species come to be the apex predators of Tsalal? The sheathbill was already somewhat pre-adapted for a solely terrestrial life. The sheathbill is entirely dependent on terrestrial sources of food. Though it does scavenge from washed up oceanic debris, it never enters the water. In fact, it is the only bird species on the island to lack webbed feet. While the sheathbill will fly to traverse distances or avoid danger, they, like many shorebirds, when tend to travel the beaches on foot. Most importantly, the sheathbills both live and breed on the island of Grande Terre without migrating, allowing them to avoid many of the dangers that came with the new geography.
This single bird has radiated into a number of species of spurwings. All, except for the [b]lesser spurwing[/b], are flightless. The largest spurwing, the [b]lane spurwing[/b] is five feet tall, while the smallest, at 45 cm in length, is barely larger than the black-faced sheathbill. All of these hunters specialize on primarily chasing down and killing smaller prey animals. Each species is cloaked in a variety of white, gray black and tan feathers, those these are not the most obvious way of visually identifying the different varieties. The most noticeable feature of all the spurwings are their pronounced caruncles, or wattles, presumably utilized in sexual selection and very divergent between species.
The wings of the greater spurwings are unlike those of the majority of our living and extinct flightless terrestrial birds. Those wings are typically highly reduced, though certain species, such as the ostrich, have developed specialized uses beyond the scope of this document. The feathers on the wing are non-flight pennaceous feathers and are shortened. The wings are not especially well insulated, and are typically pressed up against the body, partially enveloped by filoplume body feathers. However, the wings are not shortened and “proportional” to the body. Instead, the wings have one specific use.
A closer look at the wings of chionenes reveal the namesake spurs. Our black-faced sheathbill has a pair of small boney projections from the carpal joints, similar to, though less pronounced then, plovers. Sheathbill spur use has not been well studied on our Earth. Gigas’s spurwings, however, universally use the spurs solely for sexual competition. Male spurwings will face off against each other, with puffed up feathers and raised wings, for typically 30 seconds to a minute, before beginning to strike at each other with their wings.
A closer look at the wings of chionenes reveal the namesake spurs. Our black-faced sheathbill has a pair of small boney projections from the carpal joints, similar to, though less pronounced then, plovers. Sheathbill spur use has not been well studied on our Earth. Gigas’s spurwings, however, universally use the spurs solely for sexual competition. Male spurwings will face off against each other, with puffed up feathers and raised wings, for typically 30 seconds to a minute, before beginning to strike at each other with their wings.
Another of the greater spurwings, one species continued to build upon one aspect of the life of the black-faced sheathbill, their interaction with penguins. The sheathbill scavenges from penguins, taking not only eggs and babies, but also regurgitated krill. shepherd spurwings have a more mutualistic relationship. Rather than preying upon the penguins of Gigas, the shepherd spurwing actually helps to protect them. The shepherd spurwing can get regurgitated krill in return for the protection, but aid mainly goes toward the young of the spurwing. Baby and juvenile spurwings live among the penguin colonies, getting much of their food from the adult penguins. When they grow old enough, and when the penguins are not raising young, the shepherd spurwing migrate inward and rely on terrestrial prey.
A close cousin of the shepherd spurwing, more differentiated by behavior than phenotype, is the offal spurwing. Despite its name, the offal spurwing does not primarily consume feces. However, it was initially observed following herds of foie gras and consuming their waste, and it is not adverse to consuming fecal matter. The range of the offal spurwing does not extend to the coast.
The apex predator of Tsalal is the lane spurwing. Sometimes known as the Cthulhoot among less-cultured surveyors, the lane spurwing has the most ornate set of waddles, forming gigantic tentacle-like lobes that hang down from the face in older males. From many angles, the face does not even appear to be that of a bird. For the wildlife of Tsalal, it may not be quite as fearsome. Though a very quick runner, the lane spurwing cannot turn well at high speeds, hence its name. Also, the lane spurwing has a hard time slowing down. While a large, swift bird of our Earth, the ostrich, uses its wings to help do so, the lane spurwing has no such luck. At least one lane spurwing was observed running straight off the edge of a ravine, unable to stop itself in time.
On our Earth, Chionididae, the sheathbills, is a family containing a pair of Antarctic species. Only one, the black-faced sheathbill, inhabits the Kerguelen Islands. Named for a horny sheath found on its upper bill, the sheathbill is a medium sized bird closely related to the stone-curlews. Scavenging off of carrion and feces, and hunting beach-going invertebrates and the chicks of cormorants and penguins, the sheathbill scrapes by on the desolate island. On our Earth, populations of sheathbills are threatened by introduced cats and other organisms, though the black-faced sheathbill is still rated least concerns. On Gigas, they were able to grow and develop unopposed.
How did this relatively unknown species come to be the apex predators of Tsalal? The sheathbill was already somewhat pre-adapted for a solely terrestrial life. The sheathbill is entirely dependent on terrestrial sources of food. Though it does scavenge from washed up oceanic debris, it never enters the water. In fact, it is the only bird species on the island to lack webbed feet. While the sheathbill will fly to traverse distances or avoid danger, they, like many shorebirds, when tend to travel the beaches on foot. Most importantly, the sheathbills both live and breed on the island of Grande Terre without migrating, allowing them to avoid many of the dangers that came with the new geography.
This single bird has radiated into a number of species of spurwings. All, except for the [b]lesser spurwing[/b], are flightless. The largest spurwing, the [b]lane spurwing[/b] is five feet tall, while the smallest, at 45 cm in length, is barely larger than the black-faced sheathbill. All of these hunters specialize on primarily chasing down and killing smaller prey animals. Each species is cloaked in a variety of white, gray black and tan feathers, those these are not the most obvious way of visually identifying the different varieties. The most noticeable feature of all the spurwings are their pronounced caruncles, or wattles, presumably utilized in sexual selection and very divergent between species.
The wings of the greater spurwings are unlike those of the majority of our living and extinct flightless terrestrial birds. Those wings are typically highly reduced, though certain species, such as the ostrich, have developed specialized uses beyond the scope of this document. The feathers on the wing are non-flight pennaceous feathers and are shortened. The wings are not especially well insulated, and are typically pressed up against the body, partially enveloped by filoplume body feathers. However, the wings are not shortened and “proportional” to the body. Instead, the wings have one specific use.
A closer look at the wings of chionenes reveal the namesake spurs. Our black-faced sheathbill has a pair of small boney projections from the carpal joints, similar to, though less pronounced then, plovers. Sheathbill spur use has not been well studied on our Earth. Gigas’s spurwings, however, universally use the spurs solely for sexual competition. Male spurwings will face off against each other, with puffed up feathers and raised wings, for typically 30 seconds to a minute, before beginning to strike at each other with their wings.
A closer look at the wings of chionenes reveal the namesake spurs. Our black-faced sheathbill has a pair of small boney projections from the carpal joints, similar to, though less pronounced then, plovers. Sheathbill spur use has not been well studied on our Earth. Gigas’s spurwings, however, universally use the spurs solely for sexual competition. Male spurwings will face off against each other, with puffed up feathers and raised wings, for typically 30 seconds to a minute, before beginning to strike at each other with their wings.
Another of the greater spurwings, one species continued to build upon one aspect of the life of the black-faced sheathbill, their interaction with penguins. The sheathbill scavenges from penguins, taking not only eggs and babies, but also regurgitated krill. shepherd spurwings have a more mutualistic relationship. Rather than preying upon the penguins of Gigas, the shepherd spurwing actually helps to protect them. The shepherd spurwing can get regurgitated krill in return for the protection, but aid mainly goes toward the young of the spurwing. Baby and juvenile spurwings live among the penguin colonies, getting much of their food from the adult penguins. When they grow old enough, and when the penguins are not raising young, the shepherd spurwing migrate inward and rely on terrestrial prey.
A close cousin of the shepherd spurwing, more differentiated by behavior than phenotype, is the offal spurwing. Despite its name, the offal spurwing does not primarily consume feces. However, it was initially observed following herds of foie gras and consuming their waste, and it is not adverse to consuming fecal matter. The range of the offal spurwing does not extend to the coast.
The apex predator of Tsalal is the lane spurwing. Sometimes known as the Cthulhoot among less-cultured surveyors, the lane spurwing has the most ornate set of waddles, forming gigantic tentacle-like lobes that hang down from the face in older males. From many angles, the face does not even appear to be that of a bird. For the wildlife of Tsalal, it may not be quite as fearsome. Though a very quick runner, the lane spurwing cannot turn well at high speeds, hence its name. Also, the lane spurwing has a hard time slowing down. While a large, swift bird of our Earth, the ostrich, uses its wings to help do so, the lane spurwing has no such luck. At least one lane spurwing was observed running straight off the edge of a ravine, unable to stop itself in time.
