SkunkyArt | alexpeanut — Aeron - Nordanner Dragon Entry (part 2)

Scavs average one to one and a half feet at the shoulder, and weigh in around five to six pounds, with hollow bones and a light build. Their small size makes them quite nimble in air, however on the ground they are clumsy and rather uncoordinated. Their back legs are not particularly powerful, as most of their muscle mass goes into their wings. Their wing claws can grasp things, but generally they eat by pinning the carcass with their back legs, and bending down to rip edible chunks off with their beaks then swallowing them whole.

Scavs live in flocks of 10-15, usually an even mix of males and females. They hunt as a group, living primarily off whatever they can scavenge from other, larger creatures' hunts. For this reason a Scav flock will often make their roost near a Scorcher's lair, and trail them throughout the day to capitalize on whatever the larger dragon chooses not to eat. This can result in the hilarious sight of a flock of colorful, raucous Scavs swooping around a Scorcher as it eats and annoying the life out of it. For the most part Scorchers are tolerant of the screechy bird-dragons, but there are always casualties.

If needed, Scavs can and will hunt for live prey, but they are uncoordinated as a flock and usually turn up with small rodents at best. For the most part they will not bother other creatures, preferring to wait until the carnivore has finished and left its meal to swoop in and eat.

Scavs are relatively intelligent, and can be somewhat tamed by a patient person, then used in place of a hawk or other raptor to assist in hunting. The same gear is used as with hawks, albeit slightly tailored to a Scav's size. They are considered precious commodities as they are hard to train, and it is a status symbol to bring one along on hunts.

Scavs hatch in clutches of 2-3 eggs, and take about eighteen months to mature. The average life span is around seven years.