Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Keeatl
Birthday: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Owner: Nymbra
Element: Neutral
A hatchling xericoatl is tiny and affectionate, but utterly helpless for its first few weeks of life. They are unable to fly, and depend on their parents to bring food to the nest. The parents take turns making food runs and incubating the tiny hatchlings, their larger bodies readily capable of storing enough fat and water to last for days. This is especially useful in the deserts where these creatures live, as even during the rainy season, food and water are hard to come by. The coatls nest in groups, sometimes with weiroatls and keeatls nesting side-by-side. Once the young are able to fly, the entire group sets off, moving from oasis to oasis in search of delicious nuts and sweet fruits. It takes several years for them to perfect their musical magic, and until then, they must stick very close to older coatls for they are vulnerable otherwise.
Xericoatls are among the smallest of their family, seldom longer than one or two feet in length. What they lack in individual size, they make up for in the size of their flocks, which can comprise several thousand animals that weigh down tree branches when they all land at once. The coatls come in many colors and varieties, each with their own abilities related to the music they sing. The keeatl is widely favored for its elegance, which is expressed with intricate songs that some describe as miniature orchestras. Their music is so beautiful, any person or creature that hears it will stop whatever they are doing to listen. The more powerful clouded keeatls have been known to keep people listening for hours at a time. One coatl can sing while the others escape from a would-be predator. While musicians often use their keeatls for inspiration when composing their works, the hypnotic nature of the birds' songs is such a potent distraction that the Keep requires the adults to wear silencing charms at all times.
Sprite art: Mysfytt (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin