Bludgebird (SciiFii)

The bludgebird (Bipodateuthornis sapiens), also known as the squid-bird, is a bizarre species of flightless, totally wingless wading bird that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and now exists in every single continent. The bludgebird is one of the only two living members of the mitten subfamily Terrateuthorninae, which are most closely related to a widespread subfamily Carduelinae. Closely related to the opportunistic mittens, it has a diet of terrestrial prey, longer legs and more sparsely feathered than its relatives, but has lost none of its ingenuity. Four of its facial appendages are more dexterous and longer, while one pair is vestigial. It works in pairs or sometimes larger groups, launching coordinated attacks on small and medium-sized herbivores. It retains the ability to utilize tools to obtain food, broadening its arsenal along with its diet to include not only stone anvils but clubs made from broken-off branches, which it uses to bludgeon its prey, hence its name. Pairs work cooperatively to catch small and medium-sized herbivores, one serving as the beater, to drive them out of cover towards their mate, and the other as the basher, who heads them off them as they flee. For situations where a club may be inadequate such as to disable a larger and more dangerous herbivore, a spear may be produced, which can be thrown from a distance. The bludgebird can then trail its wounded prey at leisure, utilizing great endurance, until it dies of it injuries. Standing five feet tall, they are not exceptionally large, but their use of weapons means that they have few regular predators and are viewed with worry by even the largest herbivores on the grasslands. The bludgebird is highly intelligent, one of the smartest birds on Earth, and it is sapient - beyond the level of the crows and the non-human great apes. It creates tools, tailoring them for specific needs, and it learns these skills from its parents culturally, it has the mental capacity to think of abstract concepts, to produce art, and to dream of the future, like other sapient species such as humans. It has a wide array of languages, not just the basic set of social and alarm calls common to all social birds. The bludgebird also has a wide range of cultures, religions, technologies, etc. The conservation status of the bludgebird is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the bludgebird's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.