Quantummingbird

Sleepers sometimes complain of a loud shot or bang-like noise which rings within their head as they fall asleep, shocking them into wakefulness. Often, they simply were in the wake of a Quantummingbird traveling at or beyond Mach I.   The Quantummingbird gets its name from its apparent ability to disappear from one spot, only to reappear in another spot, possibly many hundreds of miles away, almost instantaneously. Though this ability resembles teleportation, that is not the bird's trick—the Quantummingbird can, when it wishes, fly at or slightly above the speed of sound.   Speculation as to whether it achieves this speed by using the sound waves in its environment as carrier waves, or whether it is simply one of the fastest critters in the Gri’x, has yet to be resolved.¹   When the bird breaks the sound barrier, it causes the typical loud 'sonic boom' in its wake (in the case of the smaller creatures, it's more of a sonic 'pop').   Quantummingbirds are intelligent and can learn many languages, though their chatter usually has little to do with anything outside of their immediate sphere of interest. They tend to be on good terms with the Fae, and are fond of discourse with people who speak Fae or Avian tongues.   While the various species range in size from roughly 2” to 8’ long, their bodies are commonly sleek and aerodynamic, with colorful plumage, black eyes, and a beak that comes to a sharp point at the end, like a spear,² which enables them to collect insects (their primary food source) from small holes and cracks.   While the birds have excellent control over their direction and speed, they must be careful to avoid obstacles in their path. Their bones are as brittle as those of most birds, and their beaks will shatter easily if they strike a hard surface with too much force.   The larger birds have, on occasion, agreed to serve as steeds for a time. They are strong enough to carry an average humanoid at speed.  

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¹ Attempts to see what the Quantummingbird can do in a total vacuum have ended messily—the researchers still bear the scars, but have yet to offer any explanations.   ² Needless to say, these beaks are formidable weapons.