The blaziken (Flammaken pyra) is a species of large flightless bird of prey, most closely related to the crested caracara, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii due to demand for real life versions of Pokémon as pets. However, due to a minor illegal pet trade and accidental releases, the blazikens have established feral breeding populations throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America and South America, where they are, by all accounts, thriving. The blaziken is one of the largest birds of prey, growing to be about 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) tall and 4.2 feet (1.3 meters) in length, with the weight of around 45 kilograms (100 lbs). The blaziken is powerfully built to run at incredibly high speeds in its vast enviroment, it constitutes a formidable predator of the great plains. These birds are several shades of dark red, with white plummage around their necks, and yellow/orange plumage sorrounding the wrist and ankle areas, though these vary from male to female. Inmature blaziken, often called torchics or combusken in their youthful stages, typically have orange and yellow plumage, that shed upon reaching maturity. Blaziken generally live alone or in pairs, guarding territories that can extend up to 35 km2. They tend to mate for long extended periods or even for life, and take care of their chicks until they reach full maturity. Once gaining independance, they wander off for years at a time until they can find a new territory in which it can establish dominance. This species tends to show varying degrees of physical change among the adult genders, young adult males and females share a quite similar appearance, with yellow/orange plumage on the lower extremities, and long white feathers extruding from the back of its head towards it's back, while elder, more well fed and experienced males tend to grow black plumage and big white crests on its head and experience a slight increase in size. It is extremely difficult to achieve this state in captivity, though recent studies have shown that the presence of certain soils in this birds diet help it achieve this healthier state. Blaziken use their agility and speed combined with powerful legs and massive, sharp clawed feet, clawed hands and beak to hunt a variety of prey, generally smaller animals (mammals, reptiles, fish and other birds) and carrion. While its powerful legs and sharp claws serve as its primary weapon in the wild, it's the blaziken's powerful eyes that allow it to hunt and detect prey in its vast, often foliage-filled ecosystem, being able to see at least 8 times better than the average human being. It can reputedly spot a mouse 3 miles away. The average lifespan of a blaziken in the wild is about 50 years, although the blazikens in captivity have lived to be around 70 years old. The conservation status of the blaziken is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the blaziken's wide range.
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