Audlakh
| Audlakh awd-lak pl. audlakhs | |
|---|---|
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| Fact File | |
| Classification: | Avian |
| Frequency: | Uncommon |
| Size: | Medium |
| Lifespan: | 15-25 years |
| Domesticated?: | Yes |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Biome(s): | Mountain, Temperate Forest |
The Audlakh is known as "The Hunter's Bird" due to it's purpose. This small-to-medium sized bird of prey is most often found both in the wild, or sitting atop the shoulder or arm of a hunter.
Pendragons who keep this bird as a hunting companion often refer to themselves as an A'kher - simply a shortened form of the bird's name. (Plural is A'khers) With a series of whistles these birds can be sent to scout or to hunt for its master. In return the A'kher provides care for the bird, and warm place to sleep, and medical care.
Audlakhs range in weight from 2 to 5 pounds (0.9 to 2.3 kilograms), average about 22 inches (0.56 meters) in length, with a wingspan that can reach 56 inches (4.7 feet, 1.4 meters). The males generally lighter, shorter, and have a smaller wingspan, than the females.
Their colors also vary depending on location, and there is quite a bit of individual variation between individuals. At hatching, they are naked, and pink. After growing feathers, they are generally a dark mottled brown, to blend in with the nest. At adulthood they are various shades of brown, red, and dark tan. Their chests and stomachs are nearly always white, no matter what their heads and backs are. The lightest feathers will be found around their eyes, underneath their beak and on the underside of their wings and tail. Their eyes are always shades of amber or yellow.
During the Dyo season, a pair will mate and typically 30 days later lay 2 to 4 eggs. 30 days following that, the eggs hatch. They are good parents, so unless a snake gets into an untended nest, all chicks will survive to maturity. Audlakhs take approximately one year to fully fledge, therefore by the time their parents are ready to have a new clutch, the previous years' chicks are kicked out of the nest.
On average they live 15 to 25 years, depending on diet, care, and natural causes. Captive audlakhs, naturally, live longer due to better care than their wild cousins.
