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Description
Another birbs post! They are after all the most speciose tetrapod group around. Here are not one, but two different birds, the Jub (smaller one on the left) and the Garuda (larger one on right). Both are speculative evolution animals from the world of Gorgaias (see previous submissions for more info).

Both the Jub and Garuda are descendants of the Pootoo (Nyctibius), a very odd, large-mouthed nocturnal bird that mainly eats insects. Both forms diverged early on and over millions of years developed a different lifestyle, though they retained the freakishly large mouth of their ancestor. Few passerines, parrots or coracimorphs were seeded onto Gorgaias, leaving many niches that could be filled by other birds such as the pootoo. Both are active during the day and are primarily frugivores.

The Garuda is a speciose bird known for its beauty. Species come in many vibrant colors and patterns, often adorned with crests and long, streaming tail feathers. The majority of Garuda live in hot jungles, spending most of their time up in trees, and feed mainly on fruit, though some will also consume small animals like lizards and frogs. They can be thought of as Gorgaias' equivalent of a Hornbill or Toucan (though at least one species of Hornbill was introduced to the planet, I'll explore that eventually). The Garuda will often swallow food whole with its large mouth, though they will break up particularly large, tough-to-swallow fruit with the sharp tip of its massive upper bill. The top of the upper bill is covered in a velvety coat of fine feathers. What purpose this serves is uncertain, though the velvet is often brightly color and may serve as a form of species recognition or a way of attracting mates. Garuda usually are solitary but may congregate in small groups. They often communicate with others by making rhythmic clacking sounds with their bill, each species seemingly having its own "song".

The Jub is arguably a stranger bird. No bigger than a crow and found in tropical climates, it is a plump short-winged species with a massive lower bill that protrudes farther out than the relatively flat upper bill. The head itself is large and proportionally very wide, with large cheeks that form pouches similar to a hamsters. While the lower bill may seem cumbersome, it is actually rather soft and stretchy, a bit like a Pelicans. The diet of the Jub consists almost exclusively on fruit, in particular a nutritious but very fibrous berry called the Dipple. This fruit is very large, but the big head and bill allow the Jub to get it in the mouth. Rather than swallow it whole though, the Jub will leave it in a pouch within its lower bill and special bacteria living in the pouch will actually ferment the fruit and break down the tough outer layer to make it easier to swallow and digest. Jub will also eat a few other smaller berries and nuts, and can store many at a time within both its bill pouch and its cheek pouches. Why the Dipple is a favored fruit of the Jub is not certain, but interestingly it is actually rather toxic to other animals and by eating them over time the Jub will actually develop mildly toxic flesh as well as a rather rancid odor that warns potential predators that it won't be worth it to hunt. Fermentation of the Dipple within the Jubs mouth, besides softening it, actually also neutralizes most of the toxins and make it safely edible for the bird, so perhaps it evolved to eat this fruit for the purpose of gaining a defense. Compared to other birds, Jub are fairly sluggish and rather poor flyers. They often are active for short periods in the morning or dusk, and during this time collect as much fruit as they can in their large mouth before heading back to their nest within the cavity of a tree and spending much of the day swallowing or digesting the food.

Hope you all enjoy! Not sure what animal I'll explore next. Thinking about doing an invertebrate but dont have much interest in drawing one or trying to think of any ideas for them. So probably will draw a mammal or reptile.

Description
Another birbs post! They are after all the most speciose tetrapod group around. Here are not one, but two different birds, the Jub (smaller one on the left) and the Garuda (larger one on right). Both are speculative evolution animals from the world of Gorgaias (see previous submissions for more info).

Both the Jub and Garuda are descendants of the Pootoo (Nyctibius), a very odd, large-mouthed nocturnal bird that mainly eats insects. Both forms diverged early on and over millions of years developed a different lifestyle, though they retained the freakishly large mouth of their ancestor. Few passerines, parrots or coracimorphs were seeded onto Gorgaias, leaving many niches that could be filled by other birds such as the pootoo. Both are active during the day and are primarily frugivores.

The Garuda is a speciose bird known for its beauty. Species come in many vibrant colors and patterns, often adorned with crests and long, streaming tail feathers. The majority of Garuda live in hot jungles, spending most of their time up in trees, and feed mainly on fruit, though some will also consume small animals like lizards and frogs. They can be thought of as Gorgaias' equivalent of a Hornbill or Toucan (though at least one species of Hornbill was introduced to the planet, I'll explore that eventually). The Garuda will often swallow food whole with its large mouth, though they will break up particularly large, tough-to-swallow fruit with the sharp tip of its massive upper bill. The top of the upper bill is covered in a velvety coat of fine feathers. What purpose this serves is uncertain, though the velvet is often brightly color and may serve as a form of species recognition or a way of attracting mates. Garuda usually are solitary but may congregate in small groups. They often communicate with others by making rhythmic clacking sounds with their bill, each species seemingly having its own "song".

The Jub is arguably a stranger bird. No bigger than a crow and found in tropical climates, it is a plump short-winged species with a massive lower bill that protrudes farther out than the relatively flat upper bill. The head itself is large and proportionally very wide, with large cheeks that form pouches similar to a hamsters. While the lower bill may seem cumbersome, it is actually rather soft and stretchy, a bit like a Pelicans. The diet of the Jub consists almost exclusively on fruit, in particular a nutritious but very fibrous berry called the Dipple. This fruit is very large, but the big head and bill allow the Jub to get it in the mouth. Rather than swallow it whole though, the Jub will leave it in a pouch within its lower bill and special bacteria living in the pouch will actually ferment the fruit and break down the tough outer layer to make it easier to swallow and digest. Jub will also eat a few other smaller berries and nuts, and can store many at a time within both its bill pouch and its cheek pouches. Why the Dipple is a favored fruit of the Jub is not certain, but interestingly it is actually rather toxic to other animals and by eating them over time the Jub will actually develop mildly toxic flesh as well as a rather rancid odor that warns potential predators that it won't be worth it to hunt. Fermentation of the Dipple within the Jubs mouth, besides softening it, actually also neutralizes most of the toxins and make it safely edible for the bird, so perhaps it evolved to eat this fruit for the purpose of gaining a defense. Compared to other birds, Jub are fairly sluggish and rather poor flyers. They often are active for short periods in the morning or dusk, and during this time collect as much fruit as they can in their large mouth before heading back to their nest within the cavity of a tree and spending much of the day swallowing or digesting the food.

Hope you all enjoy! Not sure what animal I'll explore next. Thinking about doing an invertebrate but dont have much interest in drawing one or trying to think of any ideas for them. So probably will draw a mammal or reptile.