Kestrel
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Although small, the Atheran Kestrel is a specie of bird located within the many regions of Athera. They are quite intelligent yet tend to remain wary of many races that try to approach them, often flying away whenever one would step into a close radius of them or watching them carefully. The Atheran Kestrel also holds the ability to hover in the air.
Contents
Physical Description
The Atheran Kestrel are very small in size, heighted mostly between 30–39 cm from head to tail, with a wingspan of 63–82 cm. Females are noticeably larger, with the adult male. The Atheran Kestrel's appearance depends on their habitat: Woodland, Mountain and desert. Woodland and grassy plains - In woodland, the birds' feathers tend to be sleek and smoother. The main part of the bird is a brown colour with a lighter brown underbelly and on its face and top of eyes. A black stripe runs up from the bird's grey beak and all the way down to the end of its tail. The underside of the wing is a light brown. The Atheran Kestrel's claws tend to be average sized and suitable for catching food, such as mice or fruit, and gripping onto the branches of trees. Lastly, the tail of the Atheran Kestrel is split into three long feathers; the two outer feathers are brown with black tips while the middle is white. Atheran kestrels tend to have brown or black eyes.
Mountain and snow plains – Atheran Kestrels that live further in the mountains and within snowy plains have a very similar appearance to their Woodland counterparts. Mountain Atheran Kestrels are a very light shade of grey with the white underbelly and slightly darker grey markings, instead of black. Their eyes are either light grey or sometimes even white. This change in colour is so that the birds can easily camouflage within the snow and rocks from bigger birds and predators. Lastly, Mountain versions of the Atheran Kestrel tend to be more feathery and more ruffled in order for them to adapt to the vicious cold up in the mountains. Also, their tails tend to be longer, almost being around the length from the tip of a twelve year old's fingers to their elbows. Desert – The Atheran kestrels that live within the desert are adaptable to the heat of the scorching sun. They have very thin feathers and they are a sandy colour in order to blend in within the sand. Unlike most kestrels, these kestrels have longer and sharper claws which they use to dig up their prey that are hiding within the sands. Their eyesight are much sharper, allowing them to notice the slightest movements in the sand. Their beaks are longer so that they can extract water from within cacti without much difficulty while hovering close to the cacti, much like a hummingbird. They tend to live within caves located nearby oases or large cacti forests. Their tails are also shorter.
Habitat and Behaviour
The Atheran Kestrel tend to hunt alone or in pairs, these kestrels tend to live with other kestrels in vast nests built within large trees or caves as a group. These groups of kestrels are known as 'Covens' or rather a family. Each kestrel would have a job in these Covens : gather food, look after the hatchlings and eggs, or watch over the nest in case of intruders or another Coven attacking. The Atheran Kestrel are known to being fearless and very protective over other members of their Covens, willing to come to protect the Covens they are in and prepared to die if their nests are attacked. When an Atheran Kestrel spots another animal (or a race) while out hunting, they tend to become curious yet wary if the animal or race means harm to its Coven. One would feel the bird's eyes focused on them as they walk by the bird's current perch. Sometimes, an Atheran Kestrel would even flutter into a camp and investigate the camp without being afraid, although will fly away when one is too close. Some Atheran Kestrels can be trained, mostly used to send messages from one place to another. As the bird is quite intelligent, it can understand a simple amount of instructions, may know who to trust or may even know where to go to deliver the letter is has. In order to train an Atheran Kestrel, one would have to attempt to 'befriend' the bird through either offering the bird food or by tending its injuries if the bird is hurt. The Atheran Kestrel would then decide if you are not a threat if you show it kindness, it may even consider you as a friend or member of its Coven. However, being considered as a friend is quite rare as those who want the birds capture them in cages or traps, making the Atheran Kestrel slightly wary of anyone who they come by. An Atheran Kestrel may leave its Coven if it's either banished or if the bird decides to stay a traveller who had gained the bird's trust.
The Kestrel's diet depends on their habitat.
• Woodland and plains – Berries, insects, small mammals (such as mice or squirrels), small fish from rivers and nuts.
• Mountains and snowy plains – small mammals, insects, perhaps the carcasses of dead animals, also gathers berries from further down the mountains and plains.
• Desert – insects, dead carcasses, cacti, Desert Bush berries. May also eat small fish if there is a river nearby. Also sometimes feeds on the eggs of snakes.
Sometimes, the Atheran Kestrel would stock up on food for its Coven and mostly remain within the nest in the cold seasons, although some Atheran Kestrels still venture outside to hunt but not as vast as during the warmer seasons This food stocking is mostly seen in kestrels from the mountains and snowy plains. They are not known for migrating to other areas.
First recorded encounter
Many of the races were amazed by the birds' bravery and lack of wariness towards them as the birds never seen much of people before and didn't see a reason to be wary, although this wariness began to grow when Atheran Kestrels were hunted for their feathers, being pets or purely for fun. They were also used a messenger birds as well for delivering messages across a long-distance.
History
Although they weren't hunted for food (as they tend to not contain a lot of meat), the Atheran Kestrel were hunted for their feathers, which were used for quills, ends of arrows and more. Sometimes, an Atheran Kestrel would be captured (both willing and against their will) for the use of being a messenger bird, companion or pet. How they were captured were by luring them into camps with shiny objects before trapping the birds in nets and boxes, very few would attempt to befriend the bird. Some would even go to the Coven's nest and capture the hatchlings or the eggs. Some hunters would hunt Atheran Kestrels for fun. These kestrels had gained wariness for travellers and would keep their distance, unless their curiosity takes over them.
Triva
• Atheran Kestrels were mostly seen as a symbol of family, curiosity, loyalty and bravery, a picture of an Atheran Kestrel would mostly be used on a Coat of arms to represent these traits.
• Atheran Kestrels that are from the mountains, snowy plains and deserts were less hunted than their woodland and plains counterparts, this was due to the birds being difficult to find within the environment and because very few travellers ventured through the harsh conditions.
• Although they are small, the Atheran Kestrels are capable of putting up a fight. They tend to scratch and peck furiously if someone they dislike or see as a threat has hold of them.
• Their cry tends to be loud and shrilly while they are hunting or out in the wild but the Atheran Kestrel emits soft and gentle coos or ‘kees’ when with their Coven or with someone they chosen as their companion.
• Sometimes the kestrels would befriend those who are friends with their owners, although not being as protective with them as they are with their owners. Rumours go that the kestrels can see into the hearts of people, allowing the birds if they are good or a potential threat to their coven. However, this has not been proven correct.
• The lifespan of an Atheran Kestrel tends to be between ten to twelve years. However, there have been evidence of kestrels living further than the average lifespan, mostly living up to their twenties and sometimes thirties.
• The Atheran Kestrel had been adopted by supporters of Sanoism, making the animal their ideological mascot.
