Baboon Hawks, otherwise known as Ego Birds, are a species of bird-like mammal known to exist on various known moons. It is more commonly found on more forested moons, though sightings of populations on desert-like moons had also been reported, albeit rarer.
Anatomy[]
The baboon hawk, despite its extraterrestrial position, comes from the family group Cercopithecidae; old-world monkeys that also consist of earth baboons. They are capable of standing up to eight feet tall, but their hunchback like posture usually leaves them just shorter than a human being. Its feet vaguely resemble more to that of humans, with all five toes at the end of the foot with no apposable toe evident, likely due to its more terrestrial lifestyle compared to its more arboreal relatives. They commonly move on all fours, moving in hopping motions on both their back feet and the tips of their wings, but are capable of standing on their hind legs as well.
Although mammalian in origin, they have a number of more avian-like features. Their heads make up of a sharpened beak, and a set of forward-facing horns, which they use to skewer smaller animals to eat. Although the beak itself is made of bone like the best of their skeleton, the horns themselves are actually made of keratin like a rhino's horn and had been seen getting broken off without any visible pain to the animal due to lacking nerves or blood vessels. When broken off, these horns are able to grow back completely during a single season. Their wings are made up of skin membranes stretched between extended fingers, like those of a bat, but the overall body mass makes these wings incapable of flight.
Behavior[]
Baboon Hawks are fairly sociable, and loosely territorial animals, commonly found in groups called troops. Usual troops range between three to five individuals, but the largest troop ever recorded estimated up to eighteen. These troops mark their territory using numerous objects they find within the area, often more attracted to colorful or flashy objects being used in such a manor. Baboon hawks also make a nest within their territory, which itself is made up of three spike-like objects set up in a triangular formation.
Although physically unnerving, baboon hawks are actually rarely aggressive, and usually will display intimidation more so than attacking, especially when its alone or if a group's facing another group of creatures. Methods of protection against baboon hawk groups usually consist of being in groups and appearing more aggressive, which would often deter an attack.
Although usually prone to smaller prey, larger groups and/or more desperate baboon hawks had been observed attacking much larger prey up to twice their size. This even extends to other local predators such as eyeless dogs and even forest keepers.
Trivia[]
- Its latin name, Papio-volturius roughly translates to "baboon vulture".