Kelenken

[weary girder]

Kelenken

These long legged hunters thrive in the plains, designed to run long distances to exhaust their prey. Female dominant, these patient hunters form strong social bonds with their packs, keeping their tight knit bonds from birth to death.

• Kelenkens are Crepuscular
• Dimorphism:

• Males are typically bright and flashy in color, primarily on their body feathers to attract mates.
• Females are typically more dull, their colors designed to blend into the arid and dry terrain they live in, but will have large head feathers to display their strength and dominance.
  🥚 Can have up to 4 eggs per nest 🥚

• Female Kelenkens are aggressive when nesting.

*Female kelenkens are a domineering, aggressive bunch, often bullying their male counterparts. Despite this, breeding season is when they are the most tolerant, allowing males to take space near them and even share meals with them. Some may even be borderline affectionate, playing games of chase and tag with their chosen mates for the season. This is because as they get close to nesting season, finding and making the best nest will take all of their energy, forcing them to rely on their male counterparts for food and protection. The females will search for the perfect nesting spot that accommodates the entire group, a spot that will keep them and their new clutches fed and safe until they are old enough to keep up with the pack. *

• Preferred biomes: Plains, Arid

╔════════════╗
Group Dynamics
╚════════════╝
A "Wake" is up to 8 sub-adults/adults and up to 8 hatchling/juveniles/adolescents.
Wakes are led by a dominant female. She will rule the Wake with iron claws, not taking those that ignore her or stand against her kindly.

╔════════╗
Early Life
╚════════╝

Hatchlings

Born into a female dominated world, the first thing hatchlings know is their mother. Females will keep their young in the nest they spent the season building and preparing, bringing food frequently and forming tight knit bonds with their young. This is when females became the most aggressive, chasing out their male counterparts from their nesting site and even hissing at other females who dare wander too close. Hatchlings will observe this behavior and mimic them. Females may bully their brothers, stealing food from them and forcing submission. More dominant hatchlings may even begin to assert their ranks within their clutch, the most dominant female being preferred and coddled by their mother.

Juveniles

Having established their ranks within their own clutch, this is when young will begin to leave their nest and interact with the other females and their clutches as well. This is also when females will begin to work together to raise their young, becoming more tolerant of each other once again. Adult males will still be chased away, but less so if they bring offerings of food or other gifts. The lead dominant females clutch will be top priority for the pack, often receiving the most coddling and pampering. Other clutches will resort to scraps over food or prized resources, resulting in superficial scrapes and wounded egos. This is when young learn their place in the pack, especially the males who will be pushed around and bullied by their female siblings and cousins. This the time they will grow quickly, and scraps with their other fellow young will teach them important social skills

Adolescents

Now old enough to keep up with their mothers, they will leave the nesting site and begin to join their pack on hunts. Their mothers have been surviving on small critters and scraps during the nesting season, so they will look for large targets to feed their entire pack. More submissive females and males will hang back, more keen to watch than to partake. The lead female's clutch may be a bit more dominant, wishing to chase their prey alongside their mother. However, for the most part, this is a time of learning and observing. Older males in the pack will want to establish their dominance over the new young males, often hissing and posturing over them in an intimidation tactic. Males will rarely harm the young, fearing the mother's rage. However, female's may allow their young to be bullied within the pack, knowing how important it is for them to find their place. Late adolescent males may end up pushed out of the pack by older, more dominant males. This results in small, short term groups with young male dispersals looking for a more permanent pack.

╔═════════╗
General Behavior
╚═════════╝
Every female in a pack is automatically a higher rank than a male, males being much more submissive and humble.
⤷ Some more submissive females may be more tolerant than dominant females, allowing males to stick close and share meals with them regardless of the season.

╔════════════╗
Interspecific Behavior
╚════════════╝
Kelens generally do not tolerate other species.
Orphaned Kelenkens adopted by Gigantoraptors will remain with their adoptive parent until they reach adolescent. Once they reach adolescent, they realize the mistake as make their escape!

╔═════════╗
Hunting Behavior
╚═════════╝
Kelens will cannibalize if desperate for food.
Kelens are aggressive hunters. Once a target is chosen, they intend to kill it or die trying.

╔════════╗
Threat Reaction
╚════════╝
Kelens will aggro call at potential threats, attacking without hesitation if the threat does not take the warning.