Tahi'i

Tahi'i are medium sized birds found in the Salty Desert on Talerin. They are one of the few creatures that can survive in the salt lakes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

These birds have the most striking plumage, bright yellow feathers with a black band on their long, square tail feathers. Their bodies are large, rotund, sat on two long, black, stalk like legs. They have three long toes on each foot, ending in a short claw. Their heads are small, connected to an almost invisibly short neck. They have small, black beady eyes and a long orange beak used for jabbing at salt lake fish.
On their legs are rows of tiny curved spikes, which, when something touches them, will dig themselves in and rotate, making it difficult to release, their method of catching fish to eat.

Genetics and Reproduction

Tahi'is lay large white eggs in small sandy mounds they construct themselves on the lakes edge. Females lay anywhere between 1 to 5 eggs, of about 70% hatch rate. Once the eggs are laid, they take about 6 weeks for them to hatch.

Growth Rate & Stages

When the birds hatch, they are rather vulnerable to nocturnal predators. During nights when the parents are asleep, the babies will sleep inside the mother or father's feathers, or underneath them for warmth. The babies have a much feathery coat, a light grey. Juveniles have short legs, which will grow very fast as they age.

Ecology and Habitats

Tahi'i live in the hot salty desert, where the many salty lakes provide homes for the only kind of fish species they consume, the salt lake fish. They spend their days stood in the lakes, or resting on top, waiting for fish to peck at their feet.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The salt lake fish is the only food source of the tahi'i. Tahi'i either stand still in the lake, waiting for a fish to attempt to eat their legs, and they dive bomb them, or they will float on the top of the water, their legs dangling down, and wait for fish to do the same thing. When the fish grab on, tiny leg spikes will get stuck on the fish's mouth, meaning they can't escape and give the bird an easy meal. Tahi'i only need to eat a few fish a day to survive, and thankfully the lakes are so populated with fish they don't need to worry about starving.

Geographic Distribution

• Salty Desert
• Talerin