Skyreaper

The skyreaper has replaced its ancestor, the vultsnapper. It has many changes that are the key to its success. It almost solely uses powered flight, so its muscles are much stronger to provide more speed, and its membranes are thicker to prevent damage. Its tail and wing membranes have also fused together. Its head and neck are almost devoid of feathers except of a crest on the back of its neck. The toughened skin on its face has ossified, and fused to the skull. This creates a hard bony helmet on its skull and most of the lower jaw. Its teeth have lengthened and thickened to cope with more stress. Its rearmost eyes have atrophied and become covered with skin. They can't see images anymore, but can detect movement, so they are still kept. The skyreaper is adaptable and can live in a variety of environments. It gets its name from its somewhat gruesome second feeding method. Skyreapers live together in groups of up to 20 individuals which at times scan for large creatures that are injured badly, very elderly, or close to death when carrion isn't available. When they spot such a creature they wait until the timing is right, then all swarm in at once. Some members attack from the front to distract the prey. The rest take turns swooping in and slashing with their claws or biting at the preys back. This group removes some flesh or shell until they reach the spinal cord. Once the prey is immobilized and no longer a threat, it is killed with several bites to the back of the head. The prey is then feasted on by the whole group. The skyreaper is a very social and somewhat semi-intelligent. The skyreaper has many colored body parts. Orange tail plumage, many colored collar and the head crest. Male and female look almost identical but there is a way to tell them apart. The female's crest is all black, while in the male only the last two feathers are black, the rest in many colors. The skyreaper's collar colors and head crest are in a different order in many individuals, to distinguish themselves. All these bright colors are used with gesturing in a sort of simple language. The skyreaper groups constantly exchange members with other groups. Certain selected members are exchanged when they reach maturity, shuffling some populations every now and then.