| Class: | Beast |
| Hab: | Jungle |
| Fre: | Common |
| Num: | 10-10,000 by richness of habitat and species; may have mixed flocks |
| Lair: | 30% (20% of flock is always on guard) |
| Size: | 4" to 3' by species, + tail of equal length |
| Move: | Excellent fliers |
| Def: | Agile dodge, light scales, light wiegh bounces off blunt blows |
| Att: | Very strong, shearing bite = macaw (but rarely very aggressive) |
| Int: | Bright beast = parrot |
| Spec: | Possibly |
| Posns: | Inveterate trinket collectors |
These are not the coral-nibbling parrotfish of the sea but rather are their brilliantly feathered flying cousins. These air-breathing parrotfish wing their way through the trees, feeding on fruit and nuts. Many species specialize on nuts too hard for creatures with lesser beaks, but enjoy snacking on sweet fruit and the occasional snail or tree-barnacle as well as well.
Parrotfish only present a danger to those who come too near their trees when their nests have eggs or young; such defense is vigilant and can be quite aggressive, the whole flock swarming any potential predator which comes too near their home tree. Parrotfish also will also defend "feast-trees," a seasonally rotating designation of trees with newly ripened fruit presenting an irresistible banquet. The feast would soon be looted by moneys or other competitors were the parrotfish were not so vigilant; passing Humanoids (such as Our Heroes) are likely to be warned away from feast tress.
Parrotfish may also swarm those they believe have hurt their kind. They may recognize bows and quivers of arrows or cages as signs of bird-hunters. They may also swarm anyone in their range who is wearing parrotfish (or very similar) feathers, but don't generally bother those wearing other kinds of feathers.
The beaks of parrotfish are strong enough to crack open nuts and fruit stones; few armours are much harder. They can easily sever a finger or take of a nose with a sharp nip - right through armour.
The females of a flock of parrot fish time their egg laying so the young hatch just as the peak of local fruit abundance comes into season; this varies by area.
Among smaller parrotfish, eggs are often hung by strands from an inaccessible tree branch; they rather resemble clusters of fat pearly or crystallized grapes. The male fertilizes the eggs, and then the pair coats the eggs with a jelly-like material. This mass is then sealed with a thick layer of fiber-reinforced clay or mud, resembling a hanging termite or wasp nest. Twigs, grasses, and leaves are woven about this to make a great hanging basketwork nest.
Larger parrotfish may weave great communal nests, rather like fortified tree houses, covered to protect the young from weather and predators.
Within the nests are skeins of soft lining materials and also hordes of trinkets. Anything shiny or brightly coloured may catch the fancy of a parrotfish, from blossoms to bits of cloth, pretty stones to items of polished metal or glass.
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