Cockatrice

Cockatrice is a chimaeric monster, known for its chicken-like appearance and often confused with basilisk.

Appearance
Cockatrices look like big chickens with dark green feathers. They however have slimmer body shape than chickens and got a bigger head. Eyes are deep crimson color and are surrounded by darker spots. Cockatrice's head is ornamented by a small grey comb, and short red wattle hangs from its head. Its beak is long, hooked, and very strong, adapted for tearing flesh. Cockatrices posses a pair of short wings, with a single claw protruding from each. These wings are too small to fly, but strong enough to perform long leaps. Muscular, grey legs of the creature end with deadly talons.

Cockatrice's only reptillian feature is the long, lizard-like tail covered in hard scales.

Behavior
This monster is very deadly. It stalks its prey, usually jumping soundlessly between tree branches. When it's the right time to strike, the cockatrice, with a blinding speed, attacks its victim and deals the lethal strike with its sharp beak, usually targeting the spine or stomach. Though small, cockatrice is very fast and surprisingly strong. This makes the creature able to kill a grown man.

Cockatrices emit horrifying shrieks and screeches, like an angry vulture.

Myths
Non-magical humans know about cockatrices, but today, they disregard the stories of lizard-cockerel hybrid monster as foolish medieval legends. They often confuse basilisk and cockatrices. Also, their stories and medieval bestiaries state that cockatrice hatches from a chicken egg when a snake or a toad sits on it, and that the very gaze of cockatrice is deadly. All of this is, of course, not true.

Trivia

 * Basilisks and cockatrices hate each other.
 * Cockatrices are not actually afraid of weasels.
 * Though cockatrice's stare isn't deadly, looking in its eyes may cause nausea and dizziness.
 * Basilisk and cockatrice are one of the smallest monsters. Still, they are very deadly.