Echo hawk

Because it was a loner and was generally confined to a subterranean domain, the Echo Hawk (S. "Nallamafion"; pl. "Nallamafiondi") lacked the Dire Wolfs alarming reputation. In many ways, however, the Hawks were more dangerous. Echo Hawks combined incredible infra-vision with a locating sound retrieval organ similar to the radar bats employey. This enabled them to spot their prey with unparalleled precision, and gave them a means to avoid colliding with rock faces and abutments. Without these adaptations, the Echo Hawk could not employ a two to three foot wingspan, or fly at speeds of up to ninety miles per hour, abilities which made it a lethal hunter. One could identify the Echo Hawk by its lack of pigmentation, for it grew white feathers and had colorless skin and a clearish beak. A fleshy cere at the base of the beak held their large, external nostrils. In addition, the Echo Hawk had the strong musculature of an large eagle and was less gracile than more common Hawk varieties. Both its talons and its downwardly curved beak were unusually long, hard, and sharp. Because of its strength and speed, these Hawks could even penetrate some kinds armor. Echo Hawks preyed on rodents, fish, and whatever larger sources of meat they could slay. Few would turn down the opportunity to feast on fresh or rotted carrion and, in a sense, they would tear into anything that remotely suited their carnivorous thirsts. Like the Chamber Bird, they lived in high roosts; however, the Echo Hawk lined his nook with a deep bedding of dead vines, dried mushrooms, and hair. Since they were long-lived and reach maturity very slowly, they were few; their clutches contained but one or two eggs. These were guarded by the female Echo Hawk, who were larger and more fearsome than her mate.