Guide to Razorclaws

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Razorclaws: Avians with Bite
Written by Sym

a biography in short

biology
Razorclaws are small avians. Weighing in at less than five pounds maximum, these are creatures that can easily be carried around; they weigh less, even, than a gold firelizard and an adult razorclaw male will come to the approximate size of an average adult blue flit, while females might be as large as a small brown. Females are the larger of the two genders, noticeably having wider wingspans (which are often longer than human hands) than the males, which helps make them more recognizable. They are descended from Terran Avians, which also makes them stand out among Pernese fauna: they only have four limbs, which number in at two legs and two wings each. They have small, thin legs with three toes each ending in viciously sharp talons from which their name is derived. Their beaks are also hooked and sharp, marking these small creatures as predators. Their bodies are covered in thick feathers that come longer at the tail to balance them; in flight, their tail feathers seem to spread to resemble a fan. Their entire body is catered to being small and deadly fast and these avians are capable of dropping from the air in a full plummet faster than any firelizard could ever hope to; their speed greatly exceeds that of Pernese fauna close to them in size. Their wings are also large enough to catch them from fast drops, allowing them to roll out of falls with ease. Size does not mean not a danger in this creature’s case.

Because razorclaws live in familial groups, usually indigenous to a territory, each razorclaw from a certain area will bear a unique marking. Some family groups are primarily brown while others might be more silver, and some may even have heavily white plumage. Most will not mate outside of their collective family, though there have been known to be exceptions to this. There is no gender dimorphism in these birds, save for the size difference: females can be as pretty as the males and vice versa. The family group found near Blossom Hold is primarily silvery-gray with white underbellies and brown edging to their wings, though the individual markings of each bird is different; no two razorclaws look exactly alike. Some might have longer tail feathers, while others might have masking. Most of them also have black talons, though this has been known to be absent in younger generations, particularly in females. The main distinction of this group is that their colors blend well with the mountains that they call home, which allows them natural camouflage from predators like wherries, felines, and even wild flitters and whers.

behavior
Razorclaws are extremely intelligent birds. They frequently stay in a small territorial area for hunting and they make their homes on cliff faces high out of the reach of larger predators like whers and felines. They will observe prey for long periods of time before striking, and most razorclaws know their territory well enough to not be easily snuck up on. Though they are territorial birds, this usually extends only to razorclaws outside of their family group and they will often huddle together during the cooler winter months for safety. Most razorclaws are also shy and avoid human interaction; they are also naturally frightened of dragons and will not approach them if they can help it. When food is scarce, razorclaws have been observed to hunt together as a group and share the kill in order to help one another. They are also capable of minor problem solving, things like unlocking a trunk or breaking open shells of creatures like clams are well within their grasp.

Avid predators, razorclaws frequently feed on common hold-and-Weyr pests such as crawlers, though they have also been known to kill feline and canine cubs, firelizard hatchings, tunnelsnakes and even in rare cases, insects and fish. Their favored prey depends on the region that they call home and razorclaws are capable of taking down prey significantly larger than they are. Their favorite hunting tactic is to drop from the sky at extremely high speeds, striking from above to use their viciously sharp talons in order to break the neck of their prey. If they can’t carry it off, they will feed right on the ground where they’ve made their kill. Razorclaws spend much of their time hunting, and must kill every day in order to sustain themselves. Though they do not eat a lot in one sitting, they do eat frequently.

Until recently, razorclaw interaction with humans was next to unheard of. While runners between holds have periodically seen these Avians in the wild, it was generally assumed that it was impossible to tame them. This has been proven incorrect.

Razorclaws imprint upon the first creature that they see, and as a result, most ‘bond’ to their families. It is possible, however, for humans to tame them, particularly when they are around when eggs hatch. Adults have been known to elect to stay with humans who feed them, but this is significantly less common. Even tame razorclaws remain part of their family group and usually wild ones will ‘visit’ them – even going so far as to get past their shyness in order to remain ‘in touch.’ Tamed razorclaws are capable of being trained with simple give-and-take methods; rewarding them for good behavior is usually enough to teach them. There is no intelligence difference between males and females, but rather varying from bird-to-bird with some being more apt at picking up new behaviors than others. When they imprint upon a human (which can happen in adulthood, though it often takes longer to build that level of trust), they form a very superficial connection like a sense of intuition; they almost always know when one another is in trouble, where they are or if they need something. Razorclaws typically make very loyal and faithful pets, so long as they are treated well. Mistreating a razorclaw will make them go wild – regardless of whether they’ve bonded with you or not. To them, relationships with humans are built upon respect. Treat them with it and you have a friend for life.

When it comes to communicating, razorclaws do not talk like salamandyrs or flash images like firelizards. They’re simply not that deeply connected to any human or each other. They instead communicate in a fast series of chirps and whistles, in varying pitches and tones depending on the message they want to send. They can hear over great distances and each razorclaw’s ‘voice’ is unique, some being higher pitched while some are lower. Typically these are quiet birds, nothing like the common darters that holders sell at Gathers; if they’re making noise, they usually mean something – even amongst themselves. They communicate more with body language than any kind of sounds, though young razorclaws can also be very demanding. Crr-rrr-reekt is not an unusual sound to hear from young ones begging for food – it’s also the most easily identifiable sound that they make. Handlers of razorclaws learn to understand each noise their pet makes on their own. No two are exactly alike.

mating & nesting
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the razorclaw species is their reproductive habits. Males outnumber the females, usually on a seven-to-one ratio. When a female goes into season, she will go into an elaborate courtship flight where several males attempt to impress her. This differs from dragon and firelizard flights in the respect that the males and female will exchange gifts of food midflight, ultimately culminating in the female choosing to mate with one male before they move off to build a nest together. Female razorclaws of the same family group go into season often around the same time – within a few hours to days of one another – and when they nest, they will always do so together. Nests are built in an entire cluster together, often of around five or more females clutching at any given time. Females and males take turns protecting the collective nest; while one hunts (and brings back food for their mate), the other watches over the eggs. Razorclaw nests are never left unattended and they are fierce and devoted parents; in the wild, they do not allow anyone near their eggs. Tamed razorclaws will not like this, but will budge… within reason.

Razorclaws typically clutch an average of two to three eggs every time. Since the females often lay these eggs around the same time, it’s very typical to have numerous clutches hatching at once. In the wild, razorclaws are devoted parents, hunting to bring back food to feed their babies until they are old enough to fly on their own – typically at around two to three months of age. However, if a human touches a razorclaw hatchling before it has reached this age, the parents will abandon it, meaning that the human will have to feed it until it is capable of hunting on its own or else the hatchling will die. Razorclaws reach sexual maturity at around one turn of age, at which time they begin mating. Typically, they mate once every six months, though this can also be delayed by extreme weather conditions, stress on the avian in question, or injury.

Humans raising a razorclaw hatchling will find that it is an extremely demanding responsibility. Razorclaw hatchlings must be fed every two hours with a careful meat mixture in order to remain healthy and they must be kept warm at all times. They also will cry whenever they are away from the one they deem their ‘mother,’ making high pitched and exasperated noises. This can be very exhausting for their new companion as they will have to be carried around at all times, but the end result will be a stronger bond between human and avian. A human who neglects their razorclaw as a hatchling will often cause their hatchling to die – and razorclaws have a very good memory. If someone causes one of theirs to die due to neglect or mistreatment, razorclaws will not allow them to come near their eggs again; such is an unforgivable crime in their eyes, even to the tamed.