Description:

The Australian hawkpie (Accipica marvokefelis) is a predatory descendant of the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). These birds filled a similar niche to birds of prey. After the Great Australian Desertification event, many animals went extinct due to drought and lack of food. The ancestors of this group evolved to fill the role of crows and raptors. In the Novicene, they are incredibly diverse, ranging from basal, crow-like animals to evolved birds of prey. They hold a similar niche to the South American caracaras, meaning they are generalist carnivorous birds that mainly hunt on the ground. They have a body length of 55 to 68 centimeters and a wingspan of 125 to 130 centimeters. They weigh about 1 to 1.6 kilograms. Their head is usually dark brown or black, with the body being a lighter brown. They also have grey primary feathers, beaks, and legs. They can live up to 15 years in the wild but can live up to 30 years in the care of humans.

Distribution:

The Australian hawkpie lives throughout the Australian continent. They are most common in the open plains and woody savanna of the Great Australian Plain. They are found in most open and semi-open habitats, however. They occasionally inhabit the sandy beaches of the continent, but these populations are small and rarely seen.

Diet:

The main diet of these animals consist of small mammals and reptiles. These birds will go after ground-nesting birds but aren't a common part of their diet. They will also eat insects and other invertebrates near rivers and shores.

Reproduction:

The hawkpies usually pair up year-round, depending on the area they live in, and will breed shortly after pairing up. After breeding, the male and female will prepare a nest in a sturdy tree. The birds construct these nests out of sticks, leaves, branches, mud, grass, and bark. Once the nest is complete, the male will leave the female to take care of the offspring on her own. The mother bird will the eggs until they hatch. The mother hawkpie lays around two to three eggs in one clutch. Mother hawkpies are incredibly protective of their young, keeping the swooping behavior of their ancestor. They attack any animal that comes into their territory, biting the heads and body of any perceived threat. Once the eggs fully hatch, the mother catches prey for her chicks. Like many birds, they will regurgitate food directly into their babies' mouths. The young are raised in this manner until they are about 5 to 7 weeks old. At this point, the mother will gradually start to visit the nest less frequently. When the mother bird leaves, the chicks will begin to fly out of the nest. Some of the chicks will end up dying because they were not able to fly out of the nest. The young hawkpies that do survive will usually go off to hunt on the Great Australian Plain.