Kiir Owl

Kiir owls are a smaller species of owls with very vibrant feather colors which differ depending on the gender of the owl. Kiir owls are usually around 9 inches tall with a weight of usually 2 pounds and a wing span of around 18 inches. The name of this owl, Kiir, means gem, which refers to its feather colors. In the light of the sun, the feathers of this owl seem to sparkle, like a gem. When the owl flies, it can also leave a trail of these sparkles in its path, these sparkles can be collected with metallic gloves but once it's sprinkled on something, it's permanently there, this is not the case on metals, it won't stick on that. The amount one can collect from one bird is also very small. This species of owl doesn’t have many differences between the males and the females, only their feather colors somewhat differ. Also, female Kiir owls are the only ones that leave the sparkles in their path, the male owls do have them on their feathers but do not leave them. The females usually have shades of a darker blue or purple color, the males often have shades of light blue, green or even red. Though red is rarely seen.

These owls are often distinguished by the crest feathers on top of their head, the feathers of this crest are in the middle a darker color than the surrounding feathers. The rest of the owl’s face is often white and not colorful.

They are often also very vain, they care a lot about their appearance and can very often be seen bathing in little pools or cleaning their feathers. In their nests, they even have a sort of ritual where they clean each other’s feathers. The feathers they pluck from their skin are mostly used for the decoration of their nests.

These owls are very active during the day but sometimes also roam at night to catch prey. Their small, curved beaks are perfect for catching mice, insects and other small animals. Insects are caught with their beaks and smaller animals like mice are hunted down with the owl’s good eyesight and sharp talons. The Kiir owl does not hunt for pleasure, it only hunts when it is hungry. However, when they find ‘free’ food they won’t turn it down and will gladly eat it. Because of this, the owl can be trained, even as adults because of its interest in food. If the owner will feed the owl enough, the owl won’t see the need for hunting and will stay in its nest or at the owner’s home if that’s where its nest is.

The Kiir owl has a quite interesting habit, even though it does not hunt for pleasure, it does have the odd habit of collecting various fruit types. It doesn’t matter what fruit it is, as long as it holds the vibrant colors the owl’s feathers has. The owls often decorate their nests with the fruits, but they do not eat them. When the fruit rots or loses its vibrant color, the owl gets rid of it and begins the search for new pieces.

Distribution

When an owl from the nest can fly, they immediately leave the nest to begin their search for a suitable mate. Because these owls begin their mating early, their numbers are sometimes large, though the owls have more male chicks than female ones. When an owl is ready to mate, it has a specific call to lure possible mates to them. Then a mating flight begins, the two owls inspect each other’s feathers and if they consider the feathers vibrant enough, they mate. The Kiir owl is considered common. Though when one manages to find one, it can be noticed that they find males a bit more often than females.

This bird does however have quite a lot of birds as an enemy, since the owl is quite small, they are seen as an easy prey. The owls are smart however and are good at hiding when they are hunted down. They make a good target for people because the shimmering sparkles on their feathers blow their cover.

Habitat

The habitat of this owl is usually in thriving jungles that have a lot of plants, the owls look for big trees with thick and shrouded leaves to hide themselves and make nests in. Even though the owl is often seen in the jungles, the owl can also be found in the midlands or savannahs. As long as the area they stay in has the desired plants and trees. They don’t reside in the north at all mainly because of the lack in color and shrouded plants.

The nests are usually made from large twigs, feathers and thick leaves to hide it in the trees, the nests are quite sturdy and can hold up to 4 full grown owls. The nest usually contains around 3 eggs after mating.

Diet

The Kiir owl does not hunt for pleasure but only eats small animals or insects. It only eats meat and leaves the bones of the creatures they eat. They will eat any food they can easily get or that is given by someone.

Relations

The Kiir owl is peaceful, they will more likely flee when startled or attacked. However, when their eggs or chicks are stolen, they will attack fiercely to protect them. They usually ignore people if they are around, As long as people don’t do anything to let them flee. If someone offers them tasty looking food, they most of the times won’t turn it down if the person is calm. They can be trained, the best method is with food and taking good care of the bird. They make for good companions and perhaps messenger birds but aren’t useful for hunting. It is also recommended to wear leather gloves when handling the bird, its talons are sharp.

Mechanics

• They are rather vain
• Trainable
• Collects vibrant fruits
• Has vibrant feather colors
• Has sparkling feathers, sparkles can be collected from females.

Material Properties

• The feathers of this owl make for very good decoration because of the vibrant colors the feathers have.
• Things like the beak and claws can also be used for decoration.
• The owl is quite small, and its meat doesn't taste special, so they are rarely killed for it.
• The sparkles of a female Kiir owl can be collected in very small amounts and used on clothing or something else, the color of the sparkles are usually golden.

Alchemical Properties

• When the sparkles from a female Kiir owl gets in the eyes, it causes partial blindness, this is only temporary and does not last very long. When the sparkles aren't on the owl's feathers anymore, the blindness effect disappears after about 2 months when the sparkles are collected.

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