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My submission for this creature vote is the Haast Eagle, also known as Hieraaetus Moori. It went extinct in the 1400s, and was the largest eagle that has ever existed with talons the size of tigers claws, and has been credited with being the inspiration in New Zealand behind the legends of giant man-eating birds that would carry people away. It was the apex predator of its environment and was capable of killing creatures multiple times its size such as moa, huge birds that were nearly twenty times its weight. It is believed to have killed very large prey by divebombing vulnerable areas, and wrestling it to the ground while slashing with its massive talons. The impact of such a blow has been compared to that of having a large cinderblock dropped on you from a five-story building. Given this, I think it could function well as a powerful apex predator of the skies of the ark. Ark barely has any birds, and only a handful of them are actually very useful. Having the Haast eagle soaring the skies of the arks mountains and jungles would provide a new powerful flyer that would not only allow for a fast way to travel around the map but also be a useful tame full of utilities depending on what you need. Abilities -Claw slash that inflicts bleed -Divebomb attack that can stun flyers mid-air and lock them in place for ten seconds(works on creatures up to the size of a quetzal) -Pest Control + Eagle Eye, when set on wander it'll target and snatch small creatures in a large vicinity like microraptors, troodons, pegos, dilos, and ichthyornis, sinos, bugs(this also factors into the whole prime meat collecting ability) -The pest control ability also targets non-tribemates on foot trying to sneak into your base, so having some of these soaring around the base would be very beneficial from getting raided -Wing attack, after soaring/diving for a short amount of time, it will gain the ability to perform a new attack. When landed, a built-up wing beat will result in gust of wind that pushes attackers back. Works up to creatures the size of a carno/baryonyx. The resulting hit has the potential to keep several attackers back for a short time. The wing beat will also collect nearby resources if not being used to attack anything. -As a result of its pest control feature, smaller creatures are terrified of it and flee while it's being ridden(this includes hostile creatures like troodons, microraptors, pegos, etc -Enhanced agility, able to turn on a dime at high speeds through the trees -Perching, like a thyla or tapejara it can land on large enough tree branches to regain stamnia -Prime meat collector, can collect prime meat from smaller creatures with its talons -Extremely fast, quick attacks, average stamina, and average weight but does get a reduction on the carry weight of meat and pelt -Insulation, provides warmth from its feathers when flying through the colder regions of maps -Does decent damage to armor with its talons -A screech that boosts other allied flyers similar to the Yuty Taming Method: Adults can be tamed by being brought and fed smaller creatures; the alternate and preferred form is by collecting eggs from nests in large trees and cliffsides. Pest Control: As this ability would be important I figured it's worth explaining more. The pest control feature would work in a manner comparable to the icthyornis hunt and retrieve feature, with added differences. You can determine how large of a vicinity you'd like to have it cover, then by setting it on wander any small hostile wild creature or enemy-tamed creature it spots will be quickly snatched, lifted up, and disposed of. As this works with enemy tribemates the eagle is capable of snatching survivors and attacking them until they've either escaped or been killed. Appearance: Appearance loosely based on the largest living forest eagles like a harpy, crowned, and philippine eagles, but with obvious differences to give it a distinct, different look. To some extent, it would make sense for it to have some slight resemblance to the little eagle(ironically its closest living relative). Having a crown of feathers like some other large raptors that could be a color region would also add to its look. A small detail that should be mentioned was that it had a fairly long beak in real life. (Credit to artist Ben Garrod for the nest art of eagles, it's very accurate in showing the longer hooked beak. He's an amazing paleo artist so credit to him.) Nests: The main goal of searching a nest is to find eggs, however even empty nests serve an additional purpose. Many large predatory bird nests are full of what's left of previous meals, so by passively searching a nest you'll be able to pick up pelt and keratin. This is the norm for most nests, but on occasion, you'll be able to find rare loot the birds have brought back to the nest like metal hatchets, picks, bows, sickles, crossbows, and pikes all ranging from primitive to ascendant quality. Nonweapon items that can occasionally be found include metal, flint, stone, fiber, blue, red, and green gems, and in rare cases, element shards. Nests even without eggs act in a similar way to loot drops, so no matter what you'll still be able to get something from them. Other Notes: Rideable, can go with or without a saddle, although a saddle is preferred. Smaller than the argent but bulkier/taller than the pelagornis. It would have a slightly shorter wingspan, but more broad and robust wings in general. Posture wise it would stand similar to living eagles and have a tall upright stance when grounded. Regarding the wing attack, think of the build-up as similar to the woolly rhino charge. During its boosting shriek, its crown of feathers could flare up like a dilo's frill. Spawns with nests in the redwoods, near cliffs, and in the colder areas of the map at a higher elevation. The dive bomb attack could be viewed as acting similar to the Baryonyx's spin stun in the water, like an aerial counterpart. Drops feathers(pelt) and talons that can be used for crafting when killed. As a rule, they typically spawn in pairs, and where there are adults nests are usually very close by. Extra ideas in the comments are always welcome.

The Vorombe Titian, also known as the elephant bird was the largest bird to ever exist and was native to the island of Madagascar. At ten feet tall and half a ton, nearly five times heavier than an ostrich, it was massive. Not only was it the largest bird to ever exist, but also the largest creature to have lived in Madagascar for millions of years. Ark doesn't have many birds, and those that are flightless typically aren't very large. The addition of the elephant bird would add to the avian roster while also providing a giant new traveling companion full of abilities to make a fine addition to the game. Abilities -Standard kick that causes bleed damage with its large talons; this attack has the added benefit of temporarily stunning smaller creatures up to the size of a raptor or saber -Great weight-carrying abilities(important for later attacks) -Peck(default attack) -Incubating abilities, when placed near eggs the elephant bird will warm them up and act as a living egg incubator -Able to scale elevated surfaces utilizing its huge claws similar to the ovis -Provides insulation to the rider -Kicking rocks will collect flint as the clawed feet can scrape off materials -Fast movement speed, decent stamina, and surprising bulk given its size -Special ability: Large bird species today tend to swallow rocks and stones to help grind up the food they eat. I think it is an interesting ability to be able to passively feed a tamed bird stones that it collects during its flint gathering. Once it eats enough stones it will gain the ability to perform a new attack, that being the ability to spew out the digested rocks at attackers like a living slingshot. The resulting stones being spat out can cause heavy topor and temporarily blind attackers. -The topor caused by spewed stones could in theory be used to knock out creatures in the same manner slingshots are used, just on a much more effective level making the elephant bird an effective taming partner Taming method: As the real-life birds nested on the ground it only makes sense for their Ark counterparts to do the same. Eggs can either be collected from nests, or grown birds can be passively tamed using stones. While being a passive creature, if attacked, disturbed, or robbed of its eggs the bird will attack. Size: Fitting to its name, this bird would be very large in the game. Undoubtedly Ark's largest bird, towering over the argent with its neck raised high. In real life, it was about ten feet tall and over 1,000 pounds. I believe approaching near allo height is adequate. Its neck while long and elegant should connect with a rounded but powerfully built body, less of what you see with the dodo or terror bird in-game and more in line with what you'd see in an ostrich or artist's depictions of it shown below. This would make it much larger than the argent, and nearly three times taller than the terror bird, currently Ark's largest flightless bird. Appearance: Large and covered in a thick coat of rough plumage, similar to what you'd see in an emu or cassowary. Eggs: The elephant bird layed some of the largest eggs of any creature, and I believe the eggs whether fertilized or not should be useful. They can be used in replacement for any eggs for the higher tiers of kibble, and besides providing massive nourishment for survivors is also a preferred food for many carnivores, acting on a scale similar to prime meat or mutton. Other notes: Drop's feathers(pelt), meat, and raw prime meat when killed, require a saddle to be ridden, spawns near beaches and on the outskirts of jungles, etc.