#gray-mantled albatross

[bbael]

you probably weren’t asking genuinely sdjsdjsdj but I like birds so thought I’d send u an ask re: ur reblog of the ‘albatross chicks’ !!!

they are real !!! :D

However, if you Google ‘albatross chicks’ you’ll likely get a bunch of images that looks very different — that’s because the silly looking guys in the picture are specifically the ‘Sooty Albatross’ (Phoebetria). There are two types, the Dark-mantled and Light-mantled — the main difference is that the Dark-Mantled ‘sootys’ have a yellow stripe on the lower mandible, and the Light-Mantled have a pale blueish stripe 🤷‍♀️ So not sure which one is in the pic !! They grow a lot smaller than typical albatrosses, and live around the southern Atlantic & Indian oceans, but they forage as far as South America (maybe you’ll see one :D) up to Australia/NZ. The dark-mantled variety is listed as an endangered species though sadly :( But the light-mantled ones are still doing okay !!

I love them though bc even as adults they stay silly looking! They have a lil bit of white ‘eyeliner’ so they look super cartoonish, and the stripe of their bill makes them look like they’re smiling/smirking 😭 They’re weird little cartoon birds,,,, anywho!! Enjoy the useless facts and hope you see one fly by one day lol !!! 🖤

This ask is cracking me up bc they definitely do not look real!! Also the op replied this from my rb and I just sksjdnk

Stop pretending those aren't just Muppets >_<!

But now for real thank you so much claud for the bird knowledge, I know I can always count on you for impressive facts about weird looking birds. U know I'm moderately put off by strange looking birds but I still love them dearly. I'm at a "they scare me a bit but I can't stop looking at them" point regarding exotic species lmao.

What I'm trying to say is I almost have a stroke when, after reading ur ask, i went to look up what sooty albatrosses actually look like as adults...

This is scary to me ajshdjf, i was definitely not expecting it. They look like if you saw them from the front you'd see just a line? Like they are drawn on a paper sheet and have no depth? Cartoonishly creepy. Also they kinda look like these giant birds I used to dream with as a kid but those were black instead of gray.

Thank you so much again for this ;×; I hope we both can see one fly one day.....

[sabrinasgrimoire]

Elements Series: Water Correspondences

Zodiac: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio Solar System: Mercury, the Moon, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn Season: Autumn Time of Day: Dusk Celebrations: Mabon, Neptunalia Ogham: Eadha, Eamhancholl Runes: Feoh, Jera, Lagu, Peorth Direction: West Energy: Yin Chakra: Sacral Colors: Aqua, Black, Blue, Gray, Blue-Green, Sea Green, Indigo, Lilac, Purple, Silver, Turquoise, Violet, White Numbers: 2,7 Tarot: Cups, the Hanged Man, the Moon Trees: Alder, Apple, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Birch, Cedar, Cherry, Chestnut, Cypress, Elder, Elm, Hazel, Horse Chestnut, Locust, Magnolia, Mesquite, Mimosa, Myrtle, Olive, Poplar, Spindle, Spruce, Sycamore, Willow, Witch Hazel, Yew

Plants: Aster, Blackberry/Bramble, Catnip, Chamomile, Columbine, Comfrey, Daffodile, Daisy, Feverfew, Foxglove, Gardenia, Geranium, Grape, Heather, Hibiscus, Hyacinth, Iris, Ivy, Jasmine, Lady’s Mantle, Lemon Balm, Lilac, Lily, Monkshood, Morning Glory, Passionflower, Periwinkle, Poppy, Raspberry, Rose, Solomon’s Seal, Spearmint, Strawberry, Thyme, Valerian, Violet, Yarrow, Aloe, Belladonna, Burdock, Cardamom, Coltsfoot, Cowslip, Dittany, Henbane, Lady’s Slipper, Lotus, Meadowsweet, Moonwort, Myrrh, Orris Root, Reed, Sandalwood, Skullcap, Spikenard, Star Anise, Thornapple, Vanilla, Water Lily Stones: Alexandrite, Amethyst, Ametrine, Angelite, Aquamarine, Aragonite, Azurite, Beryl, Blue Lace Agate, Calcite, Charoite, Chrysocolla, Dioptase, Fluorite, Jade, Ocean Jasper, Jet, Kyanite, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Larimar, Lepidolite, Lodestone, Moonstone, Morganite, Gold Sheen Obsidian, Opal, Quartz, Rose Quartz, Sapphire, Selenite, Sodalite, Staurolite, Sugilite, Blue Topaz, Black Tourmaline, Blue Tourmaline, Pink Tourmaline, Watermelon Tourmaline, Tsavorite, Turquoise, Blue Zircon, Coral, Mother-of-Pearl, Pearl

Metals: Copper, Mercury, Quicksilver

Goddesses: Amphitrite, Aphrodite, Badb, Boann, Brigantia, Chalchiuhtlicue, Coventina, Isis, Kupala, Ran, Sarasvati, Sedna, Tiamat

Gods: Aegir, Belenus, Ea, Khnum, Mabon, Manannan, Mimir, Neptune, Njord, Osiris, Poseidon, Prometheus Angel: Raphael Magickal Beings: Mermaids, Norns, Undines

Animals: Bat, Beaver, Cow, Dog, Hare, Hippopotamus, Horse, Moose, Otter, Polar Bear, Raccoon, Dragonfly, Dragon, Selkies, Albatross, Blackbird, Cormorant, Crane, Dove, Duck, Heron, Kingfisher, Seagull, Stork, Swan, Swift, Vulture, Crocodile, Frog, Salamander, Snake, Toad, Dolphin, Manatee, Porpoise, Whale

Ritual Tools: Cauldron, Chalice, Cup

Sense: Taste

Principle: To Dare Issues & Intentions: Agriculture, Balance, Beginnings, Change, Clairvoyance, Compassion, Blessing & Consecration, Subconscious, Creativity, Desire, Divination, Dream Work, Emotions, Empathy, General Energy, Psychic Energy, Receptive Energy, Fertility, Friendship, Grace, Growth, Healing, Heartbreak, Influence, Introspection, Intuition, Life, Animal Magick, dragon Magick, Moon Magick, Memory, Nurture, Patience, Power, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Protection, Psychic Ability, Purification, Purity, Rebirth, Renewal, Reconciliation, Reversal, Secrets, Sensitivity, Sensuality, Shamanic Work, Sleep, Sorrow, Spirituality, Inner Strength, Stress, Transformation, General Magick, Storm Magick, Well-Being, Wisdom

[toenailish]

ugh this is gonna take longer than will ever be necessary to write

Charcoal is an Ice/Sky hybrid, way back from before Darkstalker’s time, when SkyWings first got animuses (it’s implied that SkyWings were the first tribe apart from IceWings to have the magic, as IceWings obviously had it first and Jerboa and Albatross were said to be the first animuses of their tribes, and that was around Darkstalker’s time, which by then Sunset had said that they had already nearly killed off all their animuses). Charcoal was the first line in the SkyWing tribe to be an animus, along with his brother who wasn’t an animus, but carried the trait along until they were eventually killed off. Charcoal was the main reason the SkyWings started killing off animuses; they had already been extremely uneasy of animus magic because they’re not dumb like the other tribes.

Anyways Charcoal’s kind of had a superiority complex since he was a very tiny guy. Since animus magic was something completely unknown to all tribes besides the IceWings at this point, he felt very special being one himself, along with the fact that he looked different from every other dragon in Pyhrria (his brother did too but he pretended he didn’t exist for the most part). At this point the IceWings and SkyWings were starting to butt heads a bit (it’s mentioned in Darkstalker that there was a strong tension between them, this was like the start of that), and I don’t have a story yet for his mother, but I’ll make one soon probably. Anyways when her and their father had eggs the SkyWings were kind of really mad and not okay with that (his mother wasn’t an animus and didn’t mention that she was related to any cause she still didn’t like hate her tribe) but anyways when Charcoal hatched and had some real weird funky powers the SkyWings were like ‘wtf is this’ and she told them all that fun stuff and they were like ‘oh okay cool we’ll keep it’ so he was held in pretty high regards so he got like real cocky and arrogant.

Since there wasn’t really anyone to monitor or instruct him on the use of magic (his mom was like dude use that once like we do and he was all nah) he just kind of did whatever he wanted (I’m a firm believer of ‘simply using animus magic doesn’t corrupt you, the power you can have or whatever does’ so he doesn’t go crazy or anything). He wasn’t as smart as Darkstalker though so he never thought as far ahead as world-domination, he was just kind of a ‘enchant jewelry and stuff to do things’ type of guy.

Which led to the creation of Hiemal and Mantle, two separate entities that are himself. He has a collar that has a little clip, attached to it being two nose rings. When both are put on, he splits between two dragons, Hiemal the IceWing and Mantle the SkyWing (two nose rings would look dumb but he only has them on for a moment before he like splits in half), each wearing whatever nose ring had their main color as the gem. They share different minds, but basically just ‘know’ they’re both Charcoal and don’t (and can’t) like fight or argue or anything like that. While they both have the same mentality for the most part, Hiemal is the most calm and calculated of the two, and Mantle is much more boisterous and sporadic. Simply one taking off their nose ring would result in Charcoal forming again, taking the place of whoever took off their nose ring (the other would just kind of disappear). They both have the average powers for their tribe, but do not have animus magic.

Charcoal’s use for these two forms was basically a WIP immortality (his mother very fiercely warned him that enchanting a spell like that could result in him losing his mind). If either Hiemal or Mantle died, he could remove the nose ring as the other, becoming Charcoal again, and he’d be able to become two dragons again if he could find the nose ring of the other (and even if he couldn’t, he could always make a new one).

This went quite well for a long while, other dragons weren’t aware of his two forms (apart from his brother) so he relatively just had a good time being a little brat to everyone. It all just kind of went downhill when his brother like just kind of mentally snapped (while Charcoal had a not-so-good superiority complex, his brother had the opposite, being shadowed by Charcoal most of his life and feeling just generally useless by not having animus magic or any real recognition. He was a good guy but really really hated Charcoal). One day, when Mantle was being especially narcissistic and just a not nice guy to him, he attacked Mantle (I feel dumb calling him he I need a name I’ll make a ref at some point with a name but for now his brother’s just he okay). Mantle, not wanting to die took off his nose ring (it would be all good cause Hiemal still exists but its still feels like, you know, dying), but at that exact moment his brother lashed out at him, tearing open his neck, killing him. In normal cases Hiemal would fuse back with Mantle where he stood, but since he was like a dead body he instead fused to Hiemal in his location, but was still a dead body. So Hiemal became a kind-of-alive-but-also-dead dragon who was immortal from being both alive and dead, but lacked animus magic as Hiemal and Mantle had none. And so another ‘immortal dragon’ is added to the WoF fandom. Oh boy I am sorry.

-

The whole ‘dead and alive’ Hiemal kind of messed with the Sky Kingdom for quite some time because like, his brother still existed and that made him not so happy. He spread a multitude of rumors about the ‘disappearance of Charcoal’ saying how his powers had corrupted him and he was planning to kill them all or some edgy stuff. His mother, knowing from experience what had happened to some previous animuses of the IceWings, hesitantly agreed that it was possible that this could happen, and the SkyWings got incredibly freaked out, their suspicion of animus magic being bad being confirmed. From there on out any SkyWing born with the traits were killed mercilessly, so much of his brother’s kids, grandkids, and all that stuff were murdered which made him not a very happy guy.

After the SkyWing animus trait had been completely wiped from the tribe, Hiemal didn’t really know what to do anymore. He still had a heavy superiority complex, which was somewhat enforced by immortality, though his animus powers were gone and he couldn’t tell anyone of his immortality (he’s hardcore afraid of pain and dreads even the littlest of things happening to him (bee stings, stubbed toes, papercuts, etc.) scare him an intense amount and he felt as though if he told anyone of his not-dying ability they might try to kill him to find out and his mind was just kind of a mess). I don’t really know where he is now but he is not happy and is terribly dreading the future for whenever dragons go extinct and he’s the only one left or there’s an earthquake and he’s forever buried in rubble or the earth explodes and he’s floating through space and he just really wants to die so bad

Ok

-

Anyways some more general info~~

Charcoal had neither fire nor frostbreath, could not resist cold temperatures or bright lights and did not radiate cold, though he did have good vision and strong wings.

His scale pattern for the most part followed that of a SkyWing’s, with some IceWing spines here and there and some sharp claws. The undersides of his wings fade from gray to black.

-

Gray and orange are my two favorite colors and I’m glad I got to make a gray, orange, and a gray and orange dragon all in one package. Sorry this is like eight thousand words long

[collectiveofanimals]

Light-Mantled Albatross

gPhoebetria palpebrata

Phoebetria translates into bright belly, while palpebrata means an eyelid (noting their “popping” white eyelid)..

Family: Diomedeidae (Albatross)

Fun Fact: “Light-mantled albatrosses are the deepest diving of the albatrosses, often diving to 5 m (15 feet) and once being recorded as deep as 12 m (36 feet).” (ADW)

Habitat: They are endemic to pelagic waters and coastal areas of Antarctica and the surrounding southern islands (like South Gerogria, Prince Edward Islands, etc.).

They spend most of their lives at sea, especially juveniles before they are ready to breed. (ADW)

Ecosystem Role: They help maintain fish, mollusks, birds, and crustaceans. Their eggs can provide food for giant petrels and invasive cats. 

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

[collectiveofanimals]

light mantled albitross - gold harbour (13) by Russell Scott Via Flickr: Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) - AKA grey-mantled albatross or the light-mantled sooty albatross, at Gold Harbour - east coast of South Georgia