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Description
My third entry for =knockingghosts 's monster contest!

I actually really enjoy drawing this animal- which is probably why it gets a whole ref sheet... for the name, I've been calling them Rabirds (even though they come from hares, not rabbits ><) but I don't care whether or not the name is changed, so if anyone has a better idea, let me know xD

I was hoping for a less cartoon-ish appearance, but since I also wanted to give them those big black beady rabbit eyes, it turned out rather cartoonish anyhow The feather color and pattern is very loosely based off of magpies

And now, for some information about these creatures:

~ Rabirds were originally created as a science experiments, by scientists who wanted to see whether or not injections of large quantities of blood from one species into another would have any significant change on the receiving animal. They tried this with wild hares, injecting an unknown bird's blood into them. This had no measurable impact (apart from the death of most of the animals whose bodies refused the transfers) and so the remaining test subjects, assumed to be unchanged, were released into the wild. These hares happened to come across a good deal or radioactive and/or nuclear waste as they tried to live in the wild, and this somehow "awakened" the bird DNA in them, causing bird-like mutations to appear. Because the new creatures still bred at the rate of rabbits, the new species was quickly established.
~ Rabirds lay 8 to 15 eggs each spring, which hatch in 30 to 40 days. The babies are fully feathered and have their eyes open. Both parents care for the young for up to 3 weeks .
~ Contrary to appearances, rabirds do not have any fur. Instead, their whole bodies (tail, wings, and beak excluded) are covered in thick, down-like feathers, which give the impression of and serve as fur.
~ When taking off, rabirds need to run on all fours for a distance of a few yards in order to gain enough speed to take off. This means that it takes quite a bit of time, space, and energy for a rabirds to leave the ground. Once flying, they can glide comfortably, but fly rather awkwardly (much like a chicken or a turkey).
~ Fairly docile creatures, rabirds have been domesticated by some groups of people and are used for feathers, food, and companionship. They are easy to befriend with food, and make good pets. Wild rabirds will not hesitate to approach humans (much like squirrels) and roam in flocks of up to 20, with one dominant male.
~ Diet includes small lake-dwellers (frogs, salamanders, fish, etc) as well as any kind of berry. The long beak of the rabird is well suited for fishing and grabbing berries that are far off the ground or in a bush.
~ When running, rabirds, like their hare counterparts, can reach extremely high speeds, and keep their wings folded back in order to be more aerodynamic.
~ Like any other species, the markings vary slightly for each individual animal. The three bars on all flight and tail feathers remain, and the teal bar is always largest, but the size and 'centering' of the bars varies (see sample feathers on image for example). Eye markings also vary in size and shape. In domesticated rabirds, this allows owners to distinguish between individual rabirds.

that's all for now! I may add more if I think of anything I've forgotten, but I think that's it. If you read all of that, thanks a ton!

Description
My third entry for =knockingghosts 's monster contest!

I actually really enjoy drawing this animal- which is probably why it gets a whole ref sheet... for the name, I've been calling them Rabirds (even though they come from hares, not rabbits ><) but I don't care whether or not the name is changed, so if anyone has a better idea, let me know xD

I was hoping for a less cartoon-ish appearance, but since I also wanted to give them those big black beady rabbit eyes, it turned out rather cartoonish anyhow The feather color and pattern is very loosely based off of magpies

And now, for some information about these creatures:

~ Rabirds were originally created as a science experiments, by scientists who wanted to see whether or not injections of large quantities of blood from one species into another would have any significant change on the receiving animal. They tried this with wild hares, injecting an unknown bird's blood into them. This had no measurable impact (apart from the death of most of the animals whose bodies refused the transfers) and so the remaining test subjects, assumed to be unchanged, were released into the wild. These hares happened to come across a good deal or radioactive and/or nuclear waste as they tried to live in the wild, and this somehow "awakened" the bird DNA in them, causing bird-like mutations to appear. Because the new creatures still bred at the rate of rabbits, the new species was quickly established.
~ Rabirds lay 8 to 15 eggs each spring, which hatch in 30 to 40 days. The babies are fully feathered and have their eyes open. Both parents care for the young for up to 3 weeks .
~ Contrary to appearances, rabirds do not have any fur. Instead, their whole bodies (tail, wings, and beak excluded) are covered in thick, down-like feathers, which give the impression of and serve as fur.
~ When taking off, rabirds need to run on all fours for a distance of a few yards in order to gain enough speed to take off. This means that it takes quite a bit of time, space, and energy for a rabirds to leave the ground. Once flying, they can glide comfortably, but fly rather awkwardly (much like a chicken or a turkey).
~ Fairly docile creatures, rabirds have been domesticated by some groups of people and are used for feathers, food, and companionship. They are easy to befriend with food, and make good pets. Wild rabirds will not hesitate to approach humans (much like squirrels) and roam in flocks of up to 20, with one dominant male.
~ Diet includes small lake-dwellers (frogs, salamanders, fish, etc) as well as any kind of berry. The long beak of the rabird is well suited for fishing and grabbing berries that are far off the ground or in a bush.
~ When running, rabirds, like their hare counterparts, can reach extremely high speeds, and keep their wings folded back in order to be more aerodynamic.
~ Like any other species, the markings vary slightly for each individual animal. The three bars on all flight and tail feathers remain, and the teal bar is always largest, but the size and 'centering' of the bars varies (see sample feathers on image for example). Eye markings also vary in size and shape. In domesticated rabirds, this allows owners to distinguish between individual rabirds.

that's all for now! I may add more if I think of anything I've forgotten, but I think that's it. If you read all of that, thanks a ton!