Noble Sea-Eagle

The Noble Sea-Eagle is a species of large eagle occurring only in Yuriba. It is considered an apex predator among the avians of the island, and it is rare for it to be attacked by predators on land. It is not seen often, for its numbers are few and it tends to spend much of its time at sea, hunting its prey of choice.

The bird is often called simply "the eagle" by natives, as there is no other species of eagle living on the island.

Physiology

The Noble Sea-Eagle is believed to have evolved from Steller's Sea Eagle when examples of the species traveled to Yuriba well before the Lilian period. The species has lived and adapted in Yuriba's environment for thousands of years and has established itself as the dominant avian predator on the island. It is a very large eagle, weighing in at about eight kilograms and sporting a wingspan of about seven feet. By and large it is a dark bird, with plumage of a brown so deep that it appears black to the naked eye; its shoulders and the tips of its primaries and tail feathers are coloured snowy-white. The eagle's large, thick yellow bill and legs are distinctive. Though it is a streamlined bird, its body is well-padded, with very thick plumage, giving it ample protection against the chill air over the ocean and allowing it to remain in Yuriba year-round despite brutal winters.

In flight the bird is known for its majestic soaring pose, flapping only seldom, using its broad wings and currents coming off the water to keep itself aloft.

Hatchlings tend to take ten years to mature to full adults. Their plumage is far lighter than that of the mature birds; it darkens little by little as the bird grows. Immature eagles tend to be somewhat mottled, with a mixture of some darker feathers and some lighter, varying depending on age and growth patterns. It is most common for the feathers across the breast and shoulders to darken first.

Behaviour

The eagle tends to spend most of its time soaring over the ocean. The Noble Sea-Eagle makes its nest near the shoreline, typically in the trunks of large trees or on isolated outcroppings near the Aysuna Cliffs. Some of them live in the ruins of Ravensport, making their nests atop or inside the higher levels of ruined structures. For much of the day they are absent from their nests, sailing over the ocean in search of food. The birds hunt large fish but have been known to attack baby dolphins and sharks, crustaceans, young otters, and other birds. Daring eagles have been known to attack the Great Widow Albatross, though most of them give these birds a wide berth. The Lucent Swan seems to be off-limits to the eagle; they will never attack one of the fine waterfowl. They seldom eat carrion, as they prefer eating only prey that they have taken in a fair kill.

The Noble Sea-Eagle takes its name in part from the behaviour above, but also from its sense of generosity. Eagles have been witnessed dropping scraps of food to hungry animals, such as young Artisan Wolves or Harvest Bears. They frequently leave whatever parts of an animal they do not eat lying near the dens of carrion-eating creatures, allowing them to finish the meal. Accordingly, most predators give the Noble Sea-Eagle a respectable berth as a reward for its generosity.

As with many Yuriban species, the Noble Sea-Eagle is a polyamorous bird, though in a fairly limited sense. Eagles tend to form triangles or quartets, groupings of three or four mates who remain loyal to each other and reside in nests located in roughly the same area. They share food amongst themselves and rear hatchlings together. If one member of a group dies, it is common for another bird to find her way into the group. Mated birds tend to hunt together in loose groups, each giving the other ample space yet remaining well within visual range, and they will often compete during hunting runs, as though testing each other to see who the best hunter in the group is.