Wingsofsilver's Entries - Cucuio, Mountain Squirrel (+Pics)

[wingsofsilver]

Cucuio - Mythological bird originating from India.

Egg: This soft blue egg is very small and gives off a beautiful luminescent glow at night. It seems to have an eye on it, much like a peacock's.

Hatchling: This tiny blue hatchling has four wings and eyes that shine like glowing orbs. It is growing quickly and is already flying about with seemingly endless energy. As each day passes by, its eyes grow brighter and beneath its wings, you can see peacock-like eyes begin to appear, but they only seem to glow when it flies. The young hatchling chirps melodically and is quick to guide its owner in the dark, wings almost a blur.

Adult: Cucuio adults are brilliant fliers and are aerial showmen. They fly much like a hummingbird, making quick darting movements and swooping dives. Their glowing eyes remind one of a firefly in summer when the tiny birds flit back and forth as they guide their owners through the dark woods and paths. Despite its size, the glowing eyes on its four wings make the cucuio a valuable asset to any magi who like exploring the forests or working late at night. Wild cucuios make beautiful displays in the darkness and it is said that their mating flights are a sight to behold, if you are lucky enough to see one. No one is quite sure how these creatures came about, but they all agree that each tiny jewel is a creature beyond compare.

General: Native to forests and jungles, cucuio are hard to find during the day, because of their nocturnal nature. They live in the treetops and canopies and their eggs are extremely hard to find due to the tiny size of their camouflaged nests. Cucuio can be one of the most helpful birds to magi, lighting the way when no other lights can be found. With a flock of these tiny birds, their glowing eyes and wings will brighten the darkness where no candle or torch can go, even in the wind and rain. They are gentle creatures, slightly larger than a magi’s thumb, and are beloved companions and guides. Occasionally, when their eyes become dull, they leave for a short period of time, returning only when they are glowing again.

Physical Description: They are small birds, about the size and shape of a large hummingbird, with four wings. The underside of each wing has a white ‘eye’, which I imagine to be somewhat like a peacock’s, that glows. Its eyes also glow a luminescent blue that help magi see at night or in the dark. The female’s body is light blue with pale white wings. Males are more sapphire in color with light blue wings, naturally being the more showy of the species, with a white throat patch that only appears once mature so hatchlings won’t have one. Both gender's tail is slightly darker than their body color. Eggs are light blue in color, similar to a robin's blue, with a peacock-eye on it.

I'll see if I can draw a picture and scan it cause I'm no good at pixels or computerized artwork.
Edit: Well, it seems my scanner only wants to scan a small portion of the pictures I drew. Can't even get a whole piece out. I'll be working on finding another one or fixing the one I have.

Comments and critique are welcome.

[wingsofsilver]

Okay, I finally got my pictures up! Yay! Do tell me what you think. Hand-drawn with pencil and colored with colored pencils. I didn't have much to choose from so they are pretty basic. The largest is of the adult male Cucuio, the second is the male hatchling and then the egg. I might try to draw a female, perhaps with all of her wings back instead of only one pair.

Feel free to tell me what you think.

[Aneira]

i want one so badly

[wingsofsilver]

Me too! I'm glad you like them.

[Airasyraye]

I like this! It's cute, and the four wings are neat! I'm not really much for birds, but this one is definitely cool!

[wingsofsilver]

I'm glad you like it. I had a hard time figuring out what it looked like as there were no pictures of them that I could find. Then I figured, the only bird that's basically the size of your thumb is a hummingbird so that's where I got the appearance for them. I just added a little bit more to make it unique. Plus I've never seen a blue hummer. Plenty of green ones but not blue. The tail idea came from the Doctor Bird, Jamaica's national bird, which is also a hummer.

[wingsofsilver]

New entry!

Mountain Squirrel

Egg: This egg is a brownish-black color with a soft bushy tail.

Hatchling: A soft, fuzzy squirrel kit tumbles out of its egg and opens bright, black eyes to the world. It flicks its bushy tail back and forth, chattering as it takes in the new sounds and scents. Its fur is not the usual gray or red you would expect from a squirrel. Instead, its fur is of a darker color, a brown so dark it's almost black with a lighter brown mixed in. A small diamond-shaped star graces its forehead and its ears end in long furry tufts. The little squirrel hops to and fro, looking for nuts and acorns to eat.

Adult: Fun-loving companions, adult mountain squirrels are energetic and playful. They are often seen racing each other through the trees and up and down the rocky cliff-sides. Instead of making their homes in trees, they find little cracks and crevices in the Alasre Mountains to build their nests and store food for the winter months. Loyal to their owners, these creatures can be trained from birth to gather certain botanical ingredients or food like berries and nuts. While this is a useful task, especially when a magi cannot tear themselves away from an important study, they can only be taught one or two at a time because they are very forgetful.

General: Mountain squirrels are the comics of nature. When not searching for food, they can be seen tumbling, climbing, and playing with their family members, often with very amusing leaps and twirls of their bushy tails. They live in small groups called drays, usually with six to ten members, and are very social creatures. These adorable animals can be territorial, however, and will sometimes gang up on trespassing squirrels. Because they live in the mountains and make their homes in the many cracks, crevices, and caves of Alsre, their eggs are often hard to find. Few magi can gather the strength and endurance for a long expedition to the mountainous slopes. It is said that trying to find a mountain squirrel egg is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Picture of an adult. Hatchling and egg will come soon! And perhaps a colored one too!


As always, comments and critiques are welcome!

[SunsetVWF026]

While this is a useful task, especially when a magi cannot tear themselves away from an important study, they can only be taught one or two due to their forgetful memories.

The only thing I have to say about this is to rephrase "due to their forgetful memories"- maybe say something like "because they are very forgetful." Otherwise, brilliant descriptions!

[Gooey Kablooie]

Excellent job!

Both creations are top-notch I really, really like them.
One thing you've been able to do (something which I am terribly bad at) is keeping it simple while still very interesting. Again, great job.

P.S. You might even get away with calling your squirrel a "carbuncle".

[wingsofsilver]

A carbuncle? Hmm....*ponders* I shall have to think on that. Thank you both for your thoughts! I did change that one phrase as suggested and it sounds better. I'm glad you both like them. The squirrel is a random drawing I did a few years ago. I named him Teetal, after a talking squirrel in a story I wrote.