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Description
Drab Seedeater - A mobile parasitic plant that inches its way through the forest, leeching off the trees around it. Lacking in chlorophyll, it uses its burrowing tendrils to latch onto roots and siphon off nutrients. This parasitic diet changes when the season for seeds and pollination comes. While other plants disperse and drop their seeds, this one goes around and devours them, using its long feeding tube to suck them up. The consumed seeds are used to nourish its own offspring, which it will disperse around root systems of ancient trees. Eating the young plants of other species ensures that competition for nutrients will be low, enough for its young to grow and thrive.

Horned Screamer - A normally passive burrowing creature, this armored worm spends its time sifting through the soil for detritus to eat. Its sharp snout helps it plow through the soil, and its clawed limbs aid in propelling it. Thick plates on its body help brush off tough terrain and attacks, but it isn't a foolproof solution. When a bigger threat comes, one that can easily crush their armor, the Screamer will take the initiative and burst from the soil to confront them. Erupting from the ground, it will unfurl its limbs and let out a deafening screech. Most animals flee at the painful noise, and even startling a foe will give them time to run. This screaming tactic is used more often during the breeding season, when males are protecting their egg clutches. Breeding grounds for these creatures are roped off during these times, as intruders can easily be deafened when they disturb the nests.

Rough-Faced Shag - An arctic creature that is terrifying to behold, but not at all threatening when one gets to know them better. Though sporting claws and fierce-looking teeth, these creatures actually feed primarily on lichens and moss that grow on the rocks. Their teeth help scrape these meager mouthfuls off, and hooked claws can help pull up stones buried in the ice and dirt. These same tools are used whenever they stumble across a carcass, as no beast of the frozen world will pass up free nutrients. Their bald and scarred head is still a puzzlement for researchers, but some believe that these features may be used as identifiers for others of the group.

Tiny Sky-Tyrant - Though smaller than a pigeon, this vicious insect is not to be trifled with. Its many wings give it incredible speed and agility when in the sky, allowing it to fly circles around larger birds. Though it hunts for meat, it does not feed on the birds of the sky. Rather, this beast prefers to feed off them, stealing the food that they have collected. As it zips through the air, it seeks out a bird that has just filled its crop. When an engorged target emerges, it shall chase them down and harass them. Jabs and slices at their back and wings "encourage" them to give up their hoard, which is done when the victim vomits out their payload. The half-digested mess that splatters on the ground is eagerly slurped up by this critter, saving them the trouble of chewing. Birds that refuse to give up their goods will wind up serving themselves as dinner, as the Sky-Tyrant does not tolerate the stingy. Flying high above their target, they will go into a nose dive and pierce the wings of the offending bird. The victim shall plunge to their death, and the tyrant will have its feast.

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This odd collection of monsters with even odder names comes from a challenge I received from @james-silvercat on Tumblr. It comes from a post that was talking about birds, and all the utterly bizarre names ornithologists have given them. So they wanted me to create creatures based solely on the names of some of the birds mentioned on the original post. I chose four out of the many, and here is what we got! My goal was to just doodle a beast without going to crazy with detail or planning, just wing it! I enjoy the results, but I have to say that the concept of the Tiny Sky-Tyrant may get reused for an actual creature. The design won't stay, but I like its potential!

Description
Drab Seedeater - A mobile parasitic plant that inches its way through the forest, leeching off the trees around it. Lacking in chlorophyll, it uses its burrowing tendrils to latch onto roots and siphon off nutrients. This parasitic diet changes when the season for seeds and pollination comes. While other plants disperse and drop their seeds, this one goes around and devours them, using its long feeding tube to suck them up. The consumed seeds are used to nourish its own offspring, which it will disperse around root systems of ancient trees. Eating the young plants of other species ensures that competition for nutrients will be low, enough for its young to grow and thrive.

Horned Screamer - A normally passive burrowing creature, this armored worm spends its time sifting through the soil for detritus to eat. Its sharp snout helps it plow through the soil, and its clawed limbs aid in propelling it. Thick plates on its body help brush off tough terrain and attacks, but it isn't a foolproof solution. When a bigger threat comes, one that can easily crush their armor, the Screamer will take the initiative and burst from the soil to confront them. Erupting from the ground, it will unfurl its limbs and let out a deafening screech. Most animals flee at the painful noise, and even startling a foe will give them time to run. This screaming tactic is used more often during the breeding season, when males are protecting their egg clutches. Breeding grounds for these creatures are roped off during these times, as intruders can easily be deafened when they disturb the nests.

Rough-Faced Shag - An arctic creature that is terrifying to behold, but not at all threatening when one gets to know them better. Though sporting claws and fierce-looking teeth, these creatures actually feed primarily on lichens and moss that grow on the rocks. Their teeth help scrape these meager mouthfuls off, and hooked claws can help pull up stones buried in the ice and dirt. These same tools are used whenever they stumble across a carcass, as no beast of the frozen world will pass up free nutrients. Their bald and scarred head is still a puzzlement for researchers, but some believe that these features may be used as identifiers for others of the group.

Tiny Sky-Tyrant - Though smaller than a pigeon, this vicious insect is not to be trifled with. Its many wings give it incredible speed and agility when in the sky, allowing it to fly circles around larger birds. Though it hunts for meat, it does not feed on the birds of the sky. Rather, this beast prefers to feed off them, stealing the food that they have collected. As it zips through the air, it seeks out a bird that has just filled its crop. When an engorged target emerges, it shall chase them down and harass them. Jabs and slices at their back and wings "encourage" them to give up their hoard, which is done when the victim vomits out their payload. The half-digested mess that splatters on the ground is eagerly slurped up by this critter, saving them the trouble of chewing. Birds that refuse to give up their goods will wind up serving themselves as dinner, as the Sky-Tyrant does not tolerate the stingy. Flying high above their target, they will go into a nose dive and pierce the wings of the offending bird. The victim shall plunge to their death, and the tyrant will have its feast.

-----------------------------------------------------------

This odd collection of monsters with even odder names comes from a challenge I received from @james-silvercat on Tumblr. It comes from a post that was talking about birds, and all the utterly bizarre names ornithologists have given them. So they wanted me to create creatures based solely on the names of some of the birds mentioned on the original post. I chose four out of the many, and here is what we got! My goal was to just doodle a beast without going to crazy with detail or planning, just wing it! I enjoy the results, but I have to say that the concept of the Tiny Sky-Tyrant may get reused for an actual creature. The design won't stay, but I like its potential!