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Description
A close relative of this fellow here [link] , the ground-hawk is a coyote-sized steppe predator who has left the arboreal lifestyle of it's relatives for a more terrestrial one. Equipped with sharp eyes, an excellent sense of smell, and the switchblade claws of it's troodontid ancestors, these creatures are versatile hunters and scavengers. While they usually hunt and forage alone or in pairs, they are social nesters, roosting in small groups of five to ten at night. Unlike it's forest-dwelling relative, the ground-hawk is capable of powered flight, though usually reserving this energy-expensive skill for catching rapid prey or escaping danger. They have been known to hunt prey cooperatively, with one "bird" distracting a group of maras while the other strikes from cover.

For this creature, the thought was a suggestion from nemo for an archaeopteryx-like hunting animal for the dinosauroids. The design I used for this is, like a few I've done, very bird-like, but with a few dinosaurian features. The snout is based on a turkey vulture's, as I wanted an animal with a developed sense of smell. In terms of niche filled, it does the same job that a fox or jackal would, with a hint of roadrunner thrown in.

Description
A close relative of this fellow here [link] , the ground-hawk is a coyote-sized steppe predator who has left the arboreal lifestyle of it's relatives for a more terrestrial one. Equipped with sharp eyes, an excellent sense of smell, and the switchblade claws of it's troodontid ancestors, these creatures are versatile hunters and scavengers. While they usually hunt and forage alone or in pairs, they are social nesters, roosting in small groups of five to ten at night. Unlike it's forest-dwelling relative, the ground-hawk is capable of powered flight, though usually reserving this energy-expensive skill for catching rapid prey or escaping danger. They have been known to hunt prey cooperatively, with one "bird" distracting a group of maras while the other strikes from cover.

For this creature, the thought was a suggestion from nemo for an archaeopteryx-like hunting animal for the dinosauroids. The design I used for this is, like a few I've done, very bird-like, but with a few dinosaurian features. The snout is based on a turkey vulture's, as I wanted an animal with a developed sense of smell. In terms of niche filled, it does the same job that a fox or jackal would, with a hint of roadrunner thrown in.