Kulu-Ya-Ku Ecology

Taxonomy
Kulu-Ya-Ku, along with their relative in the Coral Highlands, Tzitzi-Ya-Ku, are recently discovered species of Bird Wyverns that support a combination of traits not found in known Raptorial and Draconid Bird Wyverns, thus their Taxonomy ultimately falls to a different branch of Superfamily. While both are flightless and have Raptorial base physique, their neck sprouts upward instead of going in straight line with their vertebrae, giving them a higher view of their surrounding. Their wingless front limbs are also more developed than the Prey species or the Dog Bird Wyverns, having more prominent elbows and highly functional digits. These species, like Draconid Bird Wyverns, are also somewhat solitary, unlike other flightless Bird Wyverns that adapt by forming packs complete with their system of heirarchy.
 * Order: Saurichia
 * Suborder: Bird Feet
 * Infraorder: (to be classified)
 * Superfamily: (to be classified)
 * Family: (to be classified)

Habitat
Kulu-Ya-Ku prefers the milder habitats of the New World, specifically in Ancient Forest and the riverside of Wildspire Waste where there's no shortage of water to drink and eggs to steal.

Ecological Niche
Kulu-Ya-Ku are very low in the food chain and are not built to effectively combat even the likes of Jyuratodus and Great Jagras for territory. They instead thrive by living as nomadic egg snatchers that can proficiently flee from greater dangers. Their egg diet however, makes them a staple target for all sorts of monsters that are furious over their stolen unhatched eggs, from herbivores like Apceros to larger predators like Rathian. While Kulu-Ya-Ku themselves have fair chance in successful heists, it is not seldom that the Bird Wyverns fall victim to the wrath of the eggs' parents, or hungry Deviljho that happen to pass by.

Biological Adaptation
Kulu-Ya-Ku have lean builds, with strong muscles for their limbs, which gives them sufficient leaping and climbing capacity. Their arms and hands are perhaps their defining features among their Bird Wyvern brethren, being so developed that they could steadily help the creature carry delicate eggs while jumping and running over great distance, but are strong enough to use smack hunters in the head and stun them with heavy objects when need be. Their digits also end in claws tough enough to dig up rocky soil, tough only to pick up buried rocks, as their body is not accustomed to subterranean navigation.

Behaviour
Kulu-Ya-Ku are docile towards humans, but will put up a fight against hunters if provoked. To other monsters, Kulu-Ya-Ku often avoid staying too long in one place when a large creature is nearby, especially those whose eggs are the Bird Wyvern's target. At some point, Kulu-Ya-Ku has been witnessed to be rather curious, rummaging through one of the Commission's camp in the Ancient Forest shortly after the Fifth Fleet's arrival.