THE
CUULOO
GROUND
BIRD |
The Cuuloo is a ground bird
that dwells in forests all over Santharia.
Their plumage makes them an easy target, but these same feathers make them a
beautiful game bird that is sometimes kept as a pet.
Appearance. The
Cuuloo is a beautiful bird, with bright plumage and long feathers. A crown of
dark blue feathers at the head, red breast feathers and golden black-tipped
feathers along the wings. One long red flight feather at the tip of each wing,
and a long stream of green tail feathers extend a fore and span past the
Cuuloo's body. The bird has bright yellow eyes, and the cocks have a sprig of
red feathers sprouting just above the eye. The cock's feathers are iridescent,
catching and reflecting light in dazzling colors. The hen's colors are not
iridescent, but beautiful nevertheless.
The call of the Cuuloo is the reason the bird has its name. In mating season,
the cock calls loudly, "cuu-loooooooooo!"
and the hen responds with "cuu-loo! cuu-loo!"
Special Abilities.
The Cuuloo has no special abilities, other than its call and plumage. It cannot
fly well, and stands out in the forest to those that see in color.
Territory. The Cuuloo
lives in forests all over Santharia. It is
not territorial, cocks and hens live in clutches of 3-10,
though in seperate groups. These clutches move together, feed together and sleep
together. They only seperate in breeding season, to come together in different
clutches once the babies are born.
Habitat/Behaviour..
The Cuuloo are quiet and calm birds. They spend most of their time foraging
among grasses for food, cuu-loo'ing quietly. When a predator approaches, they
drop to the earth and tuck their heads into the red breast- feathers, attempting
to look like a clump of grass, laying still. This action fools color-blind
predators, who see only zaggy lines and assume it to be a bush, passing it by.
If a predator gets too close, the entire clutch flees, flapping their useless
wings and scurrying for cover. Thus their safety is ensured in their numbers.
Diet. The Cuuloo eat
a variety of seeds, grasses and insects.
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Mating. The mating
season is in early spring. Hen clutches break up, each hen taking a bush for her
territory. They then call to the males, using the sound that is their namesake.
The males, upon hearing the first calls of the season, approach
the females and their staked bush.
If two cocks approach the same bush, a "battle"
ensues. The males call their long call to one another, then begin bobbing their
heads and bodies up and down, calling. This happens for some time, while the hen
watches. When the female has made her decision, she
leaves the security of the bush and attacks the loser with her beak and claws.
The cock and hen mate under the proctection of the bush,
and the female lays 3-5 eggs a few days after. The male and female alternate
warming the eggs, while the other forages for food. A month later, the eggs
hatch. The chicks are dully plumed, to match moreso to the ground. For the first
month of the chick's life, they live in and around the bush. After that, both
parents depart, the Hen taking the girl chicks while the cock
takes the males.
New clutches take form, usually 2-3 adults of the same sex and their offspring.
Cuuloos live 6-10 years.
Information provided by
Viresse
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