Sitak

''A small parrot wings its way through the trees. Its plumage is a striking blend of deep crimson and pale blue, and a crest of ivory-white feathers sprouts in an untidy tangle from the top of its head.''

Combat
Sitaks are easily frightened and will seek to flee at any sign of danger. Only if cornered will they respond with beak and talon, instinctively raking at a target‘s eyes. An embattled sitak will transmit telepathic calls for help to all within range. Any creature that bites a sitak or otherwise ingests sitak flesh or blood runs the risk of contracting sitak fever.

Description
The sitak is a psionic relative of the parrot and cockatoo. It is native to the forests of Athas but is also kept as a pet by those lucky or wealthy enough to own one. The sitak possesses a parrot‘s gift for mimicry but imitates sounds telepathically rather than audibly. Sitaks raised and trained in captivity can learn up to 20 simple words (food is always the first), although they require constant company or insanity overcomes them.

Trained sitaks are used to relay telepathic messages between individuals, and their feathers are prized by Nibenese hunters, who have hunted the bird to near-extinction in the environs of their home city. By comparison, the hunters of Gulg consider it an ill omen to slay a sitak, while the halflings of the Forest Ridge believe that the birds themselves bring bad luck. No species preys upon the sitak, as its flesh is home to parasites that carry a virulent disease known as sitak fever.

An adult sitak is one foot long and usually has bright green or red plumage with yellow feathers at the throat, although light blue, gray, white, or black varieties are not uncommon.