Golden Scanderan eagle
| Golden Scanderan eagle | |
|---|---|
| File:Golden eagle.JPG | |
| A painting of an eagle | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia
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| Phylum: | Chordata
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| Class: | Aves
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| Order: | Accipitriformes
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| Family: | Accipitridae
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| Genus: | Aquila
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| Species: | A.Scanderanis
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| Binomial name | |
| Aquila Scanderanis Hylfred Görenssen, 1789
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| File:Golden eagle living habitat.png | |
| Dark brow: All year. Light brown: winter habitats | |
The Golden Scanderan eagle is a species of eagle that is very closely related to the common golden eagle but still a separate species so it is as such part of the aqulia genus and the Accipitridae family. Where it differ from normal eagles though is their size and that the Scanderan golden eagle are often of a more yellow colour to the point that while it is rare so can eagles be found that is outright yellow and most males of the species have a large yellow spot at the back of their head.
While the species is mostly feral so are there still a rather large domesticated population that is used for falconering and as pets by the nobles and richer federal subjects and the species have been able to spread with it's human brothers to several federal realms where it is not a native living creature.
The creature's habitats can be found on high mountain chains and woodland forests which means one can find the golden eagle all the way from the forests of the southern parts of the northern iceplains, in almost Vedian and Karmanjaka down through the forests of Imeriata proper and Erathia and one can even find them on Jarnarna but they are rarer there due to the general lack of prey.
Etymology
The imerian word Gyllen Arn comes from the old Scanderan word "Gullen airn" or golden eagle.
History
The association between eagles and humans are a long one and there are several evidence proving the use of eagels for hunting amongst the northern iceplains as far back as the stone age and at least a few tribes went into battle with primitive banners made out of dead eagles that they carried on top of long poles carried by the wolf riders and heavy infantry of the northern human tribes.
However the most important impact the eagle has had on Scanderan culture is in the means of heradlry as the eagle is a common symbol amongst a lot of noble houses and it has become a symbol of strength and military might in the federation.
Taxonomy
All members of the golden Scanderan eagle are members of the aqulia genius and were first grouped as such by the Imerian ornithologist Hylfred Görenssen in 1789 in his book "Di flygande raserna!" Just as it's cousins the smaller golden eagle so is it part of a group of raptors called booted eagles as it's legs are feathered instead of bare as most eagle's are.
There are however six recognise races of the Golden scanderan eagle that lives in Scandera and abroad in the modern time.
Gyllene streids arn(Battle eagle) The battle eagle is the largest of the races and is also one of the two domesticated species that exists. It was bred for arial combat during Mellankhönunga tiden to serve as part of the crew for a battle wyvern and even dragons. While the smaller wyverns were mostly used as a defensive screen for the rare circumstance that a dragon was used in battle and scouting so did the Karmanjakans start to breed large and furious eagles to attack the enemy wyverns and the crew in the hope of blinding either the crossbowman, the rider or the wyvern itself even if the battle eagle could also seriously damage the weak wings of the enemy wyvern.
Female wing length is from 80 to 100 cm, averaging 90 cm, and male wing length is from 80 to 90 cm, averaging 85 cm. Females weigh from 6 to 10 kg, averaging 7 kg, and males weigh from 4 to 9 kg, averaging 5.5 kg. The most common feature of the battle eagle is it's thick muscular body and it's size that makes it tower above most eagles and despite it's inferior size being able to give the larger Sjöland eagle and even wyvers a run for their money in battle. Further more so are the species known for it's strong beak that is sharper, longer and broader proportionally to it's head than most eagles just as it's claws are also larger than is normal for an eagle.
Gyllene vild arn(Wild eagle)
The wild eagle is the ancestor of both the battle and hunting eagle and it is the second smallest race in the species as it has neither been breed for speed and size but nor suffered island dwarfism as it's cousins have. In it's wild habitat so can it be found in all of Scandera with the exception of the southern and western islands and the extreme north of the northern iceplains. However so can it also be found in Imerian africa, All of Österled,Salmo and Sydvinland.
Female wing length is from 60 to 78 cm, averaging 69 cm, and male wing length is from 56 to 72 cm, averaging 61 cm. Females weigh from 4 to 6 kg, averaging 5 kg, and males weigh from 3 to 5 kg, averaging 4 kg.
Gyllene jarn arn (Iron eagle)
The iron eagle is the smallest breed of the Scanderan golden eagle due to the island dwarfism that often affects species raised on island homes. However the iron eagle also differ from the other eagles in colour as it tends to be greyer and it's colours are duller compared to the two domesticated races and it's wild cousins in the mainland. In "Di flygande raserna!" by Hylfred Görenssen so is it even seen as a different species than the other eagles.
Female wing length is from 50 to 66 cm, averaging 59 cm, and male wing length is from 47 to 62 cm, averaging 54 cm. Females weigh from 3 to 5 kg, averaging 4 kg, and males weigh from 2 to 4 kg, averaging 3 kg.
Gyllene jakt arn (Hunting eagle) The second of the domesticated species is the Jakt arn or the hunting eagle that was raised for hunting and keeps the general size and shape of the wild eagle but it's coat is more colourful and have a bright golden colour instead of the dark brownish gold that most other eagles has.
Female wing length is from 60 to 78 cm, averaging 69 cm, and male wing length is from 56 to 72 cm, averaging 61 cm. Females weigh from 4 to 6 kg, averaging 5 kg, and males weigh from 3 to 5 kg, averaging 4 kg.
Domestication of Eagles
Two races of domesticated eagles exists, the battle and the hunting races and for centuries so have these creatures been used for combat and hunting respectively.
Anatomy and health
The Golden scanderan eagle are considered a large bird of pray as it towers above most other species as owls, falcons, crowns and even ravens but it is still considered small in size compared to the dragons, griffins and wyverns that also can be found in Scandera. The different races varies somewhat in size and weight as the smallest of the adult females can weigh 3 kg while the largest ones can weight up to as much as 10 kg. The smallest race is the Jarn arn with it's 50 to 60 cm long wings while the largest is the battle eagle with wings that can get up to a meter long.
The hunting success rate of Golden Eagles was calculated in Sydöa, showing that, out of 115 hunting attempts, 20% were successful in procuring prey. An fully-grown Golden Eagle requires about 230 to 250 g and a battle eagle twice that of food per day but in the life of most eagles there are cycles of feast and famine, and eagles have been known to go without food for up to a week and then gorge on up to 1 kg at one sitting. The powerful talons of the Golden Eagle ensure that few prey can escape them once contact is made. The talons of this species exert approximately 440 pounds per square inch of pressure, around 15 times more pressure than is exerted by the human hand, although some opine that the largest individual females may reach a pressure of 750 psi. The battle eagle however have been known to reach pressures of 660 pounds as the norm. It has been claimed that the Golden Eagle can lift up to 9 kg in flight.
Reproduction
Golden Scanderan eagles forms pairs for life during daring areal shows around nesting grounds around innanhafet where both the male and the females tries to impress one another by picking up rocks which they drop from high heights before the dive after the rock and catches it mid air. Once a pair have been founded so do they get their own hunting ground that can be up to several kilometres wide and builds their nest in the highest point they can find. While cliffs are preferred so are also tall trees used where the eagles have been known to knock down branches to make the nest more inaccessible for landliving predators. However in recent times with the construction of the large tower-houses in the Scanderan cities so have the eagle also moved into the cities where they build their homes in the large spires of the largest building and then make their living on the rats, dogs, cats and other animals that have been found in the cities and for instance so have the large parrot population in Imerbürg finally gotten into check due to wild eagles moving in.
When a Scanderan golden eagle is born so is it common for the oldest of the children to attack and kill their younger siblings to ensure their own survival and within 90 days so are the young little bird ready to try to fly. However so does it take around 60 additional days for the young bird to be able to fly longer distances. And within two years so is the young chick ready to mate himself.
The mating itself often takes merely ten minutes and the female lays eggs 45 days after the incident during which she will stay in the nest while the male hunts even if the female will take over the majority of the hunting once the eggs have been laid.
Diet
The eagle is carnivorous and eats in the wild fish, smaller mammals and even smaller birds but it has also been known to hunt for domesticated animals as well and lambs, calves as well as the common guard geese that is used all over the federation.
Behavior
The scanderan golden eagle is intelligent but it is also a highly aggressive species. As it is a species that forms bonds for life so is it very hard to get a eagle to form a bond with you unless you trained and raised it yourself. However so does eagles not enjoy captivity and small cages often leads to them getting depressed and aggressive even to owners that they have bounded to. The eagle is also known for it's loud high pitched screens that differ from the common golden eagle's weaker voice.
However so is the eagle a very suspicious animal and will glare at anything new and unfamiliar but will not investigate and attacks only if it feels provoked. While wild eagles attack other of it's own kind on sight in it's hunting ground so have the domesticated races been taught to at least accept the close proximity to other of it's kind and bounded pairs tends to be able to at least live close to other of their kind even if they will still not allow outsiders.
Diseases
While the golden eagle is often a hardy animal that can be left to it's own devices so do they still suffer from several ailments and for instance so have a certain kind of cancer been known to affect older eagles while several deceases like Fjäderröta (Feather decay), and Arnpast (Eagle plague) been known to kill large populations of the birds.
Life expectancy
The life of an eagle is a long one and the oldest documented age of an eagle have so far been 38 years in the wild while battle and hunting eagles have been known to grow up to the age of 47. However there is a saying in the federation that lacks any connection to reality that the golden eagle dies due to it's beak and claws getting too old and weak. When it reaches this age so does the eagle fly up to the highest mountain it can find and during three months does it rip out it's claws and feathers before it beats off it's claws and wait for new ones to grow out.
Once the eagle is "reborn" so does it take flight again as healthy as a fledgling and can continue to live for another 30 years before it needs to repeat the process. This tale have inspired Scanderans for centuries and the eagle have over time also gotten to represent rebirth and renewal.
Husbandry
While the main use for domesticated eagles have been for hunting and battle so are there also a few other things that the eagles are domesticated from that is used both in fashion and in magical rituals.
Feathers
Feathers have been important for Imerian warriors for ages and both domesticated and wild eagles have had to give up their feathers to make cavalry wings, arrows and crossbow bolts. However so have they also been used for magical rituals and is considered a very potent magical item for spell casting but it is also a key component in making a so called "arnhamn" that is a cloak that once wrapped around you turns you into a eagle. However so can one make other kinds of hamn but eagles tends to be the most common ones. Also have the feathers been used to make quills for centuries so the eagle have served an important part in the evolution of Imerian literature as well.
Bone
Bones from eagles have also been used in making amulets and runes that were braided into the long hair favoured by Scanderans to give those wearing them magical protection or other magical enchantments.
