Ratbird
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Ratbird is a fictional animal derived from a series of books known as the Edge Chronicles.
A Ratbird is (as is evident from the name) a cross between a rat and a bird; it has the head and tail of a rat, but has wings and can fly like a bird. Its behaviour resembles that of a pigeon, and when taken out of its home sky ship and released, it returns, so some people use them to deliver one-way messages. They have a strong, sensitive sense of smell, which handlers use to seek something out and return with information of a location - conveyed to a Ratbird handler through an areal display similar to a dance (a skilled handler knows that each wing dip, loop-the-loop, and aerial spin reveals key navigational information).
Ratbirds commonly roost in the bilges and lower holds of sky-ships, leading to a superstition among sky-pirates that when the Ratbirds all leave a ship, then they are truly doomed.
Ratbirds tend to travel in large flocks, and in such numbers that from afar, these flocks resemble thick black clouds. When one turns, the whole flock turns in unison, like a hive mind. This behavior is very similar to the Ratbird's cousin, the meat-eating Snicket.
Quote from "Cloud Wolf": The ratbird switched its tail, flapped its furry wings and, with a squeaky screech, was gone.
A ratbird is also an unofficial golf tournament played in central Pennsylvania. This tournament is comprised of the best golfers in central Pennsylvania that play for a special jacket.
