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Citipati

Written by Cottonkelpie for Ancient Reverie.

Citipati Image
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Group Limits

  • Colony
    • Unlimited Citipati
    • Unlimited Offspring / Adoptee
  • Cluster
    • 6-7 Citipati Group
    • Single sex only

Nest Limits

  • Blooming & Wilting Season: 4 eggs, 4-hour Interval
    • Due to mixed weather, nests placed close together but remain exposed.
  • Scorching Season: 6 eggs, 3-hour Interval
    • Due to heat, nests are widely spaced in open zones.
  • Frosting Season: 2 eggs, 3-hour Interval
    • Due to cold, nests are placed together within caves or sheltered areas.

Sexual Dimorphism

  • Sexual Dimorphism is Mandatory.
  • Tercels and Peahens can both have bright coloured feathers, however only Tercels have different coloured throats compared to their main body colour.
  • Peahens bright coloured feathers to attract mates, while Tercels use the bright colours to scare predators.

Habitat

  • Territorial
    • Will claim a territory to nest in. Rarely moves unless scared away, or run out of resources.
  • Prefers: Sparse Woodland, Mountains, Desert, Mesa, Valleys
  • Neutral: Beach
  • Dislikes: Dense Woodland, Marshland

Activity

  • Diurnal
    • Social activity peaks in early morning and late afternoon.
    • Rest and grooming periods occur midday in shaded areas.

Diet

  • Strict Herbivore, Food: Passive
    • Citipati will only eat berries or flowers, finding anything else below them.
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Growing Behaviours

Hatchling

Hatchlings are born blind and unable to walk. During this stage, Peahens care for them collectively, using soft coos to encourage movement and feeding response. As their eyes open (mid-hatchling stage), they imprint on the first adult they see and immediately join colony life under multiple caretakers. From the start, each hatchling mirrors its primary caretaker’s temperament — bold or gentle, curious or cautious.
Most are raised by their mothers with help from sisters or close females, though imprinting on another female is common and readily accepted.
The constant chatter and motion of the nesting grounds teach vocalizations early; quiet chicks are considered weak and may be neglected.

Juvenile

Juveniles begin forming lifelong bonds, usually with same-gender companions. Because child-care is shared, many bond outside their bloodline. They play, groom, and explore in small Clusters under a watchful adult’s eye, developing team instinct and communication.
Curiosity is deep, wanderers must be constantly retrieved by overworked caretakers, often eliciting mock-scolding trills from the Colony.

Adolescent

At this stage a young Citipati may leave the nesting lands and meet its father or other adult males for the first time; a nervous but good thing.
Adolescents test independence while remaining socially entwined. Their body is awkward and energetic; they practice adult displays through mock dances, short trills, and boastful posturing.
A soft hierarchy emerges within each generation: confident Peahens take initiative, while meeker Tercels or quiet individuals are steered toward caretaking and patrol.
Each Peahen develops a favoured object linked to her birth region; from shells to crystals or even seaweed. It all depends on where they hatched. Young Tercels begin roaming the territory with older males, learning to display, defend, and use their colours for threat shows against predators.
When bonded adolescents are forcibly separated, they often suffer distress and may leave to found a new Cluster or colony together.

Sub/Adult

Sub-adults are recognized as fully grown and may participate in courtship and territorial engagements. Tercels regularly spar with elders to hone strength and control; matches stop before serious harm and often end in shared calls of respect or grooming.
Mature males patrol paths between nesting grounds, guarding foragers and escorting Peahens to safe feeding sites or water sources.
Peahens form tight caretaking Clusters, each maintaining its own nests but sharing duties and young. These female networks are the core of colony stability and communication.
All adults contribute to teaching vocal songs and dance rituals to the next generation, maintaining continuity between ages.

Orphan Behaviours

  • Newly orphaned chicks emit persistent contact calls until something responds. When their eyes open, they imprint on the first living creature seen and follow it closely. Smarter carnivores exploit this trait, allowing young Citipati to follow them until sub-adult before turning predatory and killing them.
  • Citipati cope poorly without their social framework; stress and death are common unless they bond with a herbivore or another Citipati.
  • If a stray reaches a Cluster or Colony, it immediately abandons its imprinted guardian and is welcomed without hesitation. Imprinting is biased toward bipedal forms but may transfer to quadrupeds if no bipedals are around.

Social Behaviours

  • Citipati are exceptionally social and rely on constant contact calls to maintain group safety.
  • Colonies function as soft hierarchies governed by the most experienced breeders or caretakers, though this role is fluid and rarely stays the same.
    • Leadership is earned through reputation, not dominance; elders advise rather than command. In younger folks, leadership tends to default to the best dancer or colourful member.
    • Displays of status include dance, song, and presentation rather than violence, however in Male Clusters stubbornness can easily lead to fights breaking out.
  • Over-aggressive members are driven out; the meek risk social neglect until they prove usefulness in caretaking or foraging.
  • Overall they are extremely prideful birds, and will attempt to take what they want. If this means Stealing items from other species, or taking over nesting spots, Citipati’s will claim what they believe belongs to them. Especially Mega Packs.

Interspecies Behaviours

  • Citipati are generally tolerant toward non-threatening species and often indifferent to herbivores sharing their range.
  • Medium or bigger carnivores cause terror and alarm calls start out. If the Carnivore comes too close to the territory, a mob of males will aggressively start calling and making grand gestures to hope to scare it off. When attacked, they are willing to fight off Medium or smaller predators, but retreat from larger predators.
  • Occasionally Citipati are known to perform displays in front of other herbivores; a mixture of boast and warning.

Territorial Behaviours

  • Territories center on nesting grounds. Typically, nests will form a circle. 5 body-lengths out from that is the end of the nesting ground; afterwards anything in line of sight is considered territory to the prideful birds.
  • It is common for colonies to merge is they met, leading to Mega Packs. They also follow the above, however they might have small clusters of nests instead of a circle.
  • Citipati will not let anything nest inside, and won’t let anything come inside. If any species- from tiny to medium tries to enter they become extremely hostile and can even attack. From anything larger however, they will instead immediately abandon the nesting grounds and search for something safer.
    • Peahens will carry the offspring while Tercels run away and search for a new space.
  • Medium or smaller herbivores are challenged for prime nesting sites through display contests rather than combat, if they find a good spot.

Hunting/Hunted Behaviours

  • Citipati tend to eat together in clusters, with a Tercel guarding them from harm.
  • When threatened, Citipati sound piercing alarms and swarm aggressors in a confusing burst of colour and sound.
    • This is almost always exclusively male unless there are less than 2-3 in a colony, in which case the females will take over so as to have more offspring.
  • Against larger predators, they scatter and regroup once the danger passes.
  • If any Large or bigger species enters the middle of their nesting grounds they immediately abandon it.

Engagement Limits

  • Up to 6 individuals in standard engagements; as many as 8 when defending nests or offspring.

Courtship

  • Pairing occurs through elaborate mating dances and vocal exchange performed in open arenas within the colony. Tercels are not permitted in the nesting grounds, so Peahens will go to him to mate and groom each other before returning to her sisters.
  • Bonds are typically seasonal; Peahens will have 2-3 mates they return to regularly, meanwhile Tercels will mate with any Peahen.
  • Unmated Peahens often lay near favoured Tercels, even going as far to leave the nesting grounds and to Patrol with them.
  • Infidelity is a regular occurrence, however can lead to nasty fights if the female feels her pride is wounded or that he mates with one she dislikes. If this happens, she will abandon her offspring with the male, who must raise them outside the nesting grounds.
  • Males are excellent caretakers but their dual role of defender and nurturer often produces aggressive, vigilant young.
  • Offspring from broken pairs grow reserved and careful in mating.
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Notes

  • Citipati are nurturing, proud, and remarkably proud creatures.
  • Colonies will often have a central colour. While not necessary, Tercels will seek mates with the same colour as their mothers.
  • Male caretakers are noted for their dedication but often exhaust themselves balancing protection and parenting.
  • Fighting does occur between Peahens, and if a pair constantly fights they will be separated. If either of their favourite mates goes for the other Peahen, she will refuse to mate with him ever again.
  • Territories consist of a main central nesting ground, followed by an outer ring of protectors. Tercels are forbidden from entering the central nesting ground, but sometimes clusters of smaller nests pop up outside the main ground.

Terms

  • Colony = A group of Citipati that have a territory.
  • Cluster = A group of same-sexed Citipati.
  • Tercel = Male Citipati.
  • Peahen = Female Citipati.
  • Chick = Adolescent or below Citipati.
  • Favourite Mate = A Male that a Peahen regularly goes to mate with.
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