Sky Grazer

Sky Grazers are a non-sapient alien species from a high-gravity world called Atlas. They are the first alien to be introduced.

Biology
Like their name indicates, Sky Grazers are flying herbivores which feed on airborne plant seeds, and spend their entire lives soaring through the air currents. Landing is fatal to them, as these creatures can't support their weight on the ground in their homeworld. However, the high gravity of their home planet results in a much thicker atmosphere, which facilitates flight significantly, and as such, they are always in flight. Their natural predators are creatures that float in the air and fall down to destabilise a Sky Grazer's flight by latching onto the Sky Grazer's body.

Sky Grazers appear to be vertebrates, with internal skeletons, three-part mouths, and six wings. The first and third pairs of wings are comparatively small and used for steering and maneuvering, while the much-larger second pair provides lift.

The males of this species have larger and heavier tails compared to the females, which makes flight more challenging for them. The female selects the male who proves himself strong enough to keep up with her speed in spite of this physical disadvantage. After mating, the female lands on a high peak to lay her eggs and die. The infants struggle to avoid predators after birth and launch themselves off the steep cliffs to fly away.

Trivia

 * The Sky Grazers resemble the Sargon from the planet AG-143 from Alien Faces of The Universe.

Appearances

 * Alien Worlds, s01e01, "Atlas" (2020)