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Azure Razorbeak

JOURNAL ENTRIES & NOTES


I remember when the beast suddenly glided onto the thick tree branch above me. For a moment I couldn't even breathe, I was stuck between terror and awe. Luckily it was far more interested in chasing it's dinner than me, which provided me plenty of time to follow it and take notes. It had a face similar to a crow's and the body and claws of a large muscular cat, and I mean large - it was easily three times the size of the lynx it was chasing. Sprouting from the sides of his front arms were stunted wings covered in beautiful blue and purple feathers that matched his enchanting tail plumage. But these feathers were clearly as dangerous as they were beautiful. I remember seeing the Razorbeak spread them out like a fan when the lynx dared to try to take a stand and watched in horror as they easily cut through the branches that got in the way. I wouldn't be surprised if they used this impressive display to attract mates as well. Later I tried scanning the area to see if any of these feathers had been shed recently to no avail. I would have liked to see what other materials they would be capable of cutting through.

During the lynx chase I noticed that the Razorbeak had no real means of flying - his wings were instead built to allow him to glide gracefully from branch to branch with incredible speed and precision. Though in the dense forest of it's home, being able to glide is a lot more adaptive than flying with a body as huge as his. This proved especially true when I watched the Razorbeak go in for the kill. It happened faster than the blink of an eye - it leapt forward and sliced through the air like a knife, grabbing that poor lynx in his large, crow-like beak, snapping his little neck. Well, little in comparison to the Razorbeak, which I'm sure wasn't even fully grown.

I hope I can catch a glimpse of him again and maybe discover a nest or den somewhere. The next question is - do they hatch from eggs or do they have live births?


~ Wynna

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