Birdwatching in Elanthia

Birdwatching in Elanthia is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

A Guide to Birdwatching in Elanthia

Birdwatchers rejoice! Elanthia's rich abundance of flora, fauna, and fowl is an ever-renewing source of joy for those who love to get close to nature, and birdwatching is just the most recent trend amongst the nature-forward. Here then, is a brief guide to several unique birds in a variety of areas across the world. These are but a few of the specimens one may find when they venture out to go birding. Pack a picnic, bring your sketchbooks, and get ready to identify some birds!

Aeia's Hummingbird

Named after the local spirit of River's Rest, the Aeia's hummingbird is a tiny specimen, even when compared to other hummingbirds. So named because it was first discovered in a shrine dedicated to the goddess, the small bird is a brilliant violet with jewel-toned iridescence.

While most hummingbirds are attracted to flowers in the red spectrum, Aeia's hummingbirds appear to be most fond of white lilies, leading the devout to believe the hummingbird truly is one of Aeia's chosen creatures. This is not to say they do not also partake of other flowers, they do, but they can often be seen clustering about the white lilies of Aeia.

Cloud Aisesesh

Named for the Iyo words for air and light, the aisesesh makes the Cloud Forest its home. Made for speed, this powder blue bird flits about the jungle canopy, its cinnamon chest and neck a blur of color. A single band of ivory encircles its neck. While it prefers the thick treetops, variants of the aisesesh have adapted to almost every terrain. Comfortable in the tropical sunlight, they prefer nighttime and can usually be seen flying about bodies of freshwater, quickly dipping their pale beaks into the pool for tiny, silvered fish.

Glimae'den Heron

The Glimae'den heron, known colloquially by the aelotian denizens of Cysaegir as yrrithaeh (or water warrior), is a bird found solely within the forests of the Glimae'den Wildwood. With the abandonment of the settlement once known as Glimae'den, the heron was believed to be extinct. However, recent sightings of this magnificent, albeit small, creature prove otherwise.

In appearance, the Glimae'den heron is dwarfed in size by others within its species, with the female of the species even smaller than the male. A cap of iridescent greenish black feathers crowns the heron's head, while the back and wings feature a gradient grey-black that adopts a green ombre towards the tips. The neck is a simple chestnut brown shade with a white line spanning from beak to tail feature. Their neck is typically held close to their body while resting but is noted to be long and graceful in flight. A diet consisting of small fish, frogs, and other similar animals ensures the potential pest population is kept in check.

Oteskan Cormorant

With a jagged edge to its hooked bill, oteskan cormorants are native waterfowl along the Tempest River, especially near the town of River's Rest. Sheened with a grey iridescence, the slender black birds have double-crested tufts of downy feathers on their heads and orange facial skin around their beaks. With intelligent, river green eyes and a crooning, almost soothing call, an oteskan cormorant often lulls people into a sense of complacency around it, until it steals your fish and other food. This act of river "piracy" is the reason it is named after Oteska the Corsair.

Despite its thieving tendencies, oteskan cormorants actually do make good companions on the river, and they can be trained to fish if properly rewarded and incentivized.

Saewehna Dragonbird

Named for the Saewehna Jungle on the Isle of the Four Winds, the dragonbird is similar to the peacock. Displaying a tall dark purple crest, its tail feathers are brilliantly arranged in shades of green, gold, and indigo that shimmer and dance in the tropical sunlight. Iridescent metallic emerald plumage is layered closely together giving the neck, breast, and mantle the appearance of dragon scales. The male and female are similarly colored, with the female's hues being muted with undertones of brown and bronze shading that helps them hide when nesting (they build ground nests in the thick jungle foliage). At dusk, cries of "kee-wooa" and "eow-eh" can be heard throughout the dense areas of the jungle.

Shell Pigeon

Mostly pearly grey with dark green wings and back, this pigeon is large and plump with tufts of ginger shading its throat with a muted orange hue. This unique bird is only found on the islands in the eastern waters off Mist Harbor on Four Winds Isle. These birds live in small flocks and roost in the rocky areas along the shoreline. Shell pigeons' main diet is shellfish. They scoop them up in the shallows and small tidal basins, then they smash the shells against the rocky walls of their home. The shell pigeons have a deep and resonant call that is often heard well before the avian is seen.

Tempest Ducks

Native to County Torre and mostly found in and around the Tempest River, tempest ducks are a deep rowan hue with tiny gold and white speckling across the back and wings, while their chests are a darker brown-black with a deep purple outline. Their beaks and almost comically splayed feet are a bright jacinthe, making them easy to spot on land or water.

While they are often seen on the river, the ponds and marshes near the Tempest are their favorite nesting grounds. Tempest ducks are docile birds, prone to over-indulging, and are almost always a bit chubby with a tendency to waddle if not in the water. Despite this propensity for pudginess, they fly quite well, which is useful when trying to avoid hunters, as the tempest duck is a delicious creature.

OOC Information/Notes

• Created by GMs Valyrka (Cloud Aisesesh, Saewehna Dragonbird, Shell Pigeon), Xeraphina (Glimae'den Heron), and Xynwen (Aeia's Hummingbird, Oteskan Cormorant, Tempest Duck)
• Released on 2 October 2024
• This document is not meant to be a comprehensive list of every unique bird in Elanthia, but it will have information on unique-to-Elanthia birds created for the new birdwatching system if there is lore behind it. It may be updated as new birds are introduced.