Avia
From Fantasy Novel
| Avia | |
|---|---|
 A typical male Avia | |
| Order of Creation | Fourth |
| Avg Height | 7 Feet |
| Avg Weight | 240 Lbs |
| Skin | |
| Hair | |
| Eyes | |
| Current Location | |
Avia are large are bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrate animals which inhabit mainly the north western mountainous territory of the main continent. Once distributed across most of the mountainous regions in the world, they have been hunted down and driven back to the northwest mountains, where they now are entrenched.
This species possesses a very broadly built body, making them extremely powerful. They possess an particularly wide wingspan, and are able to also walk much like humans, though their feet also serve as mighty talons while not walking.
Avia have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, and have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which cause minimal diffraction of the incoming light.
Contents |
Name
Author explanation - The name "Avia" is an obvious reference to "Avian" which is a term to describe things relating to birds. It has not specific naming rationale other than it works as a reference to birds, and sounds good.
Inter story name explanation text here.
Appearance
The plumage of an adult Avia is evenly brown with a white head and tail. The tail is moderately long and slightly wedge-shaped. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration, but females are 25% larger than males, displaying sexual dimorphism.<ref name="Zipcode">Template:Cite web</ref>The beak, feet, and iris (anatomy)|irises are bright yellow. The legs are unfeathered, and the toes are short and powerful with long talons. The highly developed talon of the hind toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes. <ref name="ADW">Template:Cite web</ref> The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere.<ref name="Cornell"/>
The plumage of the immature Avia is brown, speckled with white until the fourth year, when it reaches sexual maturity.<ref name="ADW"/> This species is distinguishable from the Golden Eagle in that the latter has feathers which extend down the legs. Also, the immature Avia has more light feathers in the upper arm area, especially around the 'armpit'.
Body length ranges from 27 to 40 inches (68-100 cm). Adult females have an average wingspan of about 7 feet (2.1 meters); adult males have a wingspan of 6 ft 6 in (2 meters). Adult females weigh approximately 12.8 lb (5.8 kg), males weigh 9 lb (4.1 kg). The smallest specimens are those from Florida, where an adult male may barely exceed 5 lb (2.3 kg) and a wingspan of 6 feet (1.8 meters). The largest are the Alaskan birds, where large females may exceed 16.5 lb (7.5 kg) and have a wingspan of over 8 feet (2.4 meters).<ref name="Cornell"> Template:Cite web</ref> In the wild, Avias typically live about 20-30 years, but can realize a life span of approximately 50 years. They generally live longer in captivity, up to 60 years.
