Lives of the Seawis

In modern Apterra, two lineages of seawis rule the ocean. Of the early radiation that diversified nearly two million years ago, all others have died out as a result of climate change and competition. Those that remain are tough, derived, and possess a suite of attributes allowing them to survive the current regime of cooling temperatures and declining oceans. In the millennia after their cousins' extinction, some are even beginning to expand once more. With icehouse conditions approaching, this second wave is likely to be just as short-lived as the first. Time will tell if these new adaptations will allow any of the seawis to persist through the end of the current age. At the moment, though they're experiencing a new golden age supported by the Late Muricene's doomed seabasket forests.

A Golden Seawi (Pelagapteryx teliterus) bobs peacefully in the sea not far from one of the Gecko Isles. This strong and fit male is a descendant of older transcontinental seawis, whose strong swimming abilities it has inherited. It's just returned from a dive that took it about ten meters below the surface, where it managed to catch a small sea-minnow hiding in the kelp-like grass. With more than 75 feathers per square inch, its streamlined body holds a thin layer of air that insulates its core and allows it to float with ease. The slickness of this species' plumage comes from a thick layer of oil that coats it, which must be regularly maintained by grooming and preening. 

The bird may remain in this fishing ground for weeks at a time, returning to the shore when breeding, molting, or in need of a thorough cleaning. Males and females look nearly identical, save for the former's ring of golden-yellow feathers around its face. Unlike ancestral kiwis, both parents alternate incubating their egg; one guards the nest while the other makes a brief excursion to catch more food for its mate and, soon after, their hungry chick. Upon returning, the two spend a short time lying next to each other on their nest, picking each other clean of dirt and parasites. This reaffirms their lifelong bond and gives their growing offspring plenty of time to interact with both its parents. Finally, they switch places, with one taking a shift tending to the chick and the other leaving to hunt. 

This individual has so far raised ten chicks over as many years after reaching maturity at about the age of two. If it avoids predators and keeps itself in good health, it may have as many as thirty more years of life ahead of it. Like all kiwis, this species is extremely K-selected, with each of its young having a decent chance of surviving to adulthood. The experience and intelligence of this seawi and his mate also contribute to this; over the years, they've learned the best methods of selecting and defending their nest sites, and as they age their future chicks' odds of survival will only improve further. 

A young male Green-Winged Seacock (Pelagapteryx polyinsularis) shows off his colorful feathers to a potential mate, swaying back and forth in a mesmerizing display. The target of his affections is far older than himself; it's her twenty-third year coming to this particular island to breed. Just two years prior to her arrival, this small rocky outcrop first peeked above the waves after a minor volcanic eruption. With their species being slow to colonize new lands, these two are the only seacocks to have arrived here so far.

In the massive established rookeries of older islands, this inexperienced male would have no chance with a female like this one, but after decades of loneliness, she's happy to settle for the only available option. She came here during her first mating season after accidentally drifting away from her home colony during a hurricane, after which she's come back here every year, following strong instincts to maintain her breeding territory. Like every member of her species, for about one month each summer, her normally smooth feathers molt, being replaced with a fluffy breeding plumage that keeps her warm and safe during her time on land. 

For her, this is the extent of the changes that occur at this time of year, but the male has also grown a set of bright green and black feathers on his crest, wings, and tail. Though his forelimbs are useless for swimming, they possess uncommonly strong shoulder muscles that allow him to wave his wing feathers rapidly, wooing his new partner with rhythmic motions. With time, her still-developing egg will hatch into a chick that will almost certainly survive in this environment without any competitors. Not quite as long-lived as their relatives, the female seacock will probably only manage to raise three or four children before she passes, but once the younger generation matures and more migrants join this pair's descendants, the male will eventually find a new mate for himself. He will likely live long enough to see this barren rock expand into a sizeable colony, a phenomenon that happens with increasing regularity in the current world of falling sea levels that expose more new nesting sites with each passing millennium.