Chalini

A particularly odd species of bird found in southern Cosonia, the chalini is know for its unique transition to adulthood and the hallucinogenic drug that can be derived from the result of that transition.   Chalini lay eggs in the swamps of southern Cosonia in the spring, partially submerged in nests of reeds and grasses assembled by the mating pair. Upon hatching, chalini hatchlings, often called blububs, look nothing like their adult parents. They have egg-shaped bodies with wing-like apendages and webbed feet that allow them to swim. They lack a beak, instead possessing a small, lipped mouth from which loud "mao" sounds are emitted instead of chirps. Their entire body is covered in a smooth greenish-brown skin completely devoid of feathers. Their skin is coated with a foul-tasting compound to deter predation. Over the course of spring and summer, the hatchlings are watched over and fed by their parents. In areas where multiple mating pairs have nested, a communal approach to parenting is taken.   Toward the end of summer a process begins to take place within the blubub, creating a second body within their visible body. As the internal body matures and incorporates the internal organs into itself, it begins to secrete a special enzyme that dissolves the external body, allowing the two to gradually separate. During this period the skin of the blubub becomes clear, allowing the second body to be seen. For a period of a few days at the beginning of fall, the blubub is unable to move due to being trapped within the original body but unable to control it. During this time, mature chalini are especially protective and have been known to swarm humans who happen to be nearby.   When the external body is dissolved enough, an adult chalini emerges. It will rinse itself clean of the enzyme and remains of its orignal body in the swampy water, then must dry out before it will be able to fly up to join its parents in the canopy. It will be another year before it reaches full maturity. As an adult, the chalini has a yellow head that fades into the mottle brown of its body and stands between 8 and 10 inches tall.   The partially dissolved remains of the blububs have been gathered by members of the southern Rinduma for over a thousand years, ever since it was discovered that the dehydrated result (Ispelpus) could be used to trigger hallucinations. There are disagreements about the efficacy of ispelpus derived from chalini raised in captivity versus those living in the wild, but recent technological developments using ispelpus may lead to farming of chalini to become a very lucrative venture.