Raptors

A catch-all name for a variety of bipedal, feathery predators with razor-sharp talons on their hands and feet, raptors are a family of beasts that range in size from only a few pounds to cresting a thousand. Wild raptors of all varieties are voracious eaters, and will happily feast on just about anything they can take down. The largest will even hunt sapient species in their territories. They're clever beasts with good memories, and some species have been domesticated and bred for labor. Smaller species like suwa are used as hunting companions, sniffing out game and giving chase. Larger species like kotka can be used as mounts, and carry riders into battle or on scouting missions.

  All raptors follow a similar body plan regardless of size: they have a large head relative to the body, long necks, serrated teeth, and elongated first claws on the feet which are curved like sickles. These claws are extremely flexible and are their primary tool while hunting - raptors pin down prey and hold it in place while they begin ripping with their jaws. Raptor bodies are covered in downy feathers not unlike most birds, though typically the feet and end of the snout are devoid of feathers. Their tails are quite long and rigid, often 2/3rds of a raptor's length is in its tail alone. Their wings, ending in clawed hands not too dissimilar from sapient avians like Kenku, still show signs of past flight, and indeed the smallest kinds still glide through the air deftly.   Common species of raptors:

• Kheree: The only raptor that can fly and the smallest of their kin, the kheree is a tree-dwelling beast native to Nalendi. Unlike its cousins, the kheree uses its large sickle-claws to cling to bark and scale trees rather than pin prey. These nimble creatures use the four wings on their arms and legs to leap from tree to tree and glide across the canopy, catching smaller fliers out of the air or snapping climbing critters as they swoop by. The largest Kheree are only a handful of pounds, and no more than three feet in wingspan or length. Kheree are popular exotic pets among the elite of Lusia due to their shimmering, iridescent black feathers.
• Suwa: Suwa, a shortening of "egg thief" in Felese, are swift little beasts that survive by dashing around the legs of bigger creatures and snatching whatever prey they can. Their name is quite literal as well - their favorite food is the eggs of other animals, including those of larger raptors. Suwa were the first raptors domesticated by sapient species, and have done well as pets and hunting partners. Suwa are faithful companions to the hunters that train them, using their sharp vision and keen smell to track and chase prey to its nest or burrow where the hunter can finish it off. Their feathers come in a startling array of colors and patterns due to domestication and breeding, and males often have brighter plumage and display feathers on their heads and necks for attracting mates. Suwa typically stand a foot-and-a-half high and can be up to five feet long, and weigh around forty pounds when fully grown.
• Dankana: Mid-sized raptors that live in packs of four to ten, the dankana is a clever and fearsome predator that has been known to attack smaller sapients in the past. Almost as fast as their smaller cousins, dankana ambush and chase prey in weaving formations, using their exceptionally long tails like rudders. Due to their social nature, they can be trained to follow a sapient as the leader of their pack. Typically this is only the beastmaster who trained them, but if raised around sapients from a young age, this leadership position can be transferred to new owners relatively easily. With their grey and black feathering and bright yellow eyes, it's easy to see why they make intimidating guard-beasts.
• Masunta: Also known as the fishing raptor, the masunta is the largest of the species from Shisama, reaching nearly sixteen feet in length and 750 lbs. when fully grown. Using their long snouts and conical teeth, masunta wade into shallow water and pluck fish and aquatic animals out to swallow whole. Masunta are solitary animals and typically only interact with others of their kind to mate during the dry season.
• Kotka: The largest raptors of all, kotka hit a massive twenty feet in length and reach a thousand pounds in adulthood. These ambush hunters live in family groups and patrol large territories to keep rivals away. Kotka are bred as warbeasts, the largest sturdy enough to carry riders as big as a Leonin without issue. They have to be trained from the time they hatch, as many who've tried to tame a captured kotka have learned the hard way. Kotka most commonly come in shades of brown with white stripes or dappled patterns - perfect camouflage for the forests and grasslands they inhabit.