Desert Órao

The desert orao is the principal native eagle of Far Harad. It is quite similar to the eagles of the North, except that the environment has forced him to play the role of scavenger as well as hunter. These soaring hunters swoop to attack smaller birds or prey on the ground. Unlike the northern birds, the desert eagle will as readily eat carrion as fresh meat. This is an adaptation made necessary by the environment. They are aggressive enough to strike travellers along Harad's southern caravan roads.

Aside from Men, the orao are the dominant hunters on the vast plains of southwestern Harad. Their eyries are set in the caverns of the northern Yellow Mountains, and in wind-hollowed caves the highest of the hills east of the hilly Raj region to the north. In size, they are no match for the Great Eagles, but they are large enough to carry off a shepherd's goat or lamb.