Swooping Spearbill

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Heaven Above. Haven Below.

This content takes place in the Haven setting of Imagindarium's Creation.

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"I'm no sailor, but even I know when to run for cover when I hear those things calling out."

—Anonymous Zoologist

The Swooping Spearbill, also referred to as the Soldier Bird, the Pikebill, or often just the Spearbill, is a large seabird found in coastal areas all across Haven. Known for its powerful bill that it uses to dive bomb unsuspecting prey or those that wander too close to their nesting sites, the Spearbill is both an effective hunter and a watchful guardian. Ship captains the world over tend to keep a pet Spearbill around, given the creature's loyal nature and willingness to fight.

Characteristics

Appearance

The Spearbill is a large bird that stands as tall as an adolescent Mythra or an adult Gnarvesh. Their bodies are covered in white, grey, or brown feathers, with the male Spearbills having bright red feathers covering their heads. They have black eyes and white skin covering their legs, with webbed feet to help them swim. The Spearbill has a huge wingspan, spanning eleven-and-a-half feet long, taller than most Oathreni. This lets them soar for incredibly long distances, sometimes even covering hundreds of kilometers in a single day.

The Spearbill’s most notable feature is its long, sharp bill, which often measures at a foot-and-a-half in length. The males’ bills are longer while the females’ bills are wider, meaning one can easily tell the two apart, though most are more likely to spot the males’ bright head feathers first. When the Spearbill swoops in to grab prey, it tucks its wings in to build up incredible speed, often appearing as a falling spike.

Biology

The Spearbill’s bill is incredibly strong, enough to pierce the tough scales of fish and the hard shells of crustaceans with ease. It can even pierce clean through plate armor as if it were nothing, much to the dismay of many adventurers who thought themselves safe. However, the Spearbill’s bill does have a habit of getting stuck in the ground should it miss its target, leaving it open to a potential counterattack.

Spearbills have incredible stamina, able to soar for incredibly long distances before needing to rest. When they do need to rest but cannot find land, they will float on the surface of the ocean, though this leaves them open to attacks by marine predators.

Spearbills typically mate once a year, with the females often laying two or three eggs. Once they hatch, the mother Spearbill spends most of her time caring for and nurturing the young while the father hunts. After eight months, the adolescent Spearbills will have fully developed their flying feathers, though they will typically stay with their parents for a few years.

Spearbills primarily hunt for aquatic prey, though they are known to hunt land animals when food is scarce. In the most desperate of times, they are even known to hunt prey much larger than themselves such as cattle. Many coastal communities can recall when a flock of Spearbills descended upon their town during periods of famine.

Behavior

Spearbills live in flocks that often contain dozens of individual birds, usually nesting in coastal cliffs. They use their powerful bills to chip away at solid rock until they’ve created an alcove large enough for them and their mate. During mating season, the males will “joust” using their bills in order to impress potential mates. Once a mate is found, the pair usually sticks together for life.

Spearbills will travel long and far in search of food, with the male and female Spearbills taking turns when one must go out to hunt. The other one stays behind, defending the nest and watching over its young. Male Spearbills are often seen teaching their young how to effectively use their beaks to hunt, watching its offspring clumsily hunt for crabs and other invertebrates.

Spearbills are highly-territorial birds, fiercely defending their nesting sites from any potential threats. Spearbill nesting grounds are often clearly identifiable by the large number of fish carcasses and cracked-open shells tossed from their nests. While these might provide a meal to any would-be scavengers, Spearbills will not suffer any intrusion into their lands, descending upon these trespassers with impunity.

Trained Spearbills

Thanks in no small part to their loyal nature, many have seen the value of acquiring a Spearbill of their own. However, the process of taming one is much easier said than done. Adult Spearbills are too temperamental to be broken, so one must somehow manage to steal one of their eggs. Given the inherent dangers of this task, Spearbill eggs are highly valuable, often fetching a high price.

With enough time and effort, the Spearbill will become imprinted on its master, becoming a loyal companion who will serve until the day it dies. Fishermen value them for their innate skill at diving and bringing back the biggest possible catch. Pirates and navy personnel alike have made great use of the Spearbill’s combat capabilities, using their inherent combat capabilities to pick off foes from a great distance. Regardless, all who have ever owned a Spearbill have regarded it as one of their most trusted allies.

Notable Individuals

TBA