40d:Giant eagle

Giant Eagles are ferocious birds nearly as strong as elephants, with one major advantage - they can fly. They are usually found in savage mountain areas. In the real world, Giant Eagles are flying supermarkets that are nearly as strong as elephants.

Flight enables the giant eagle to zip out of the way of melee weapons, hover out of reach, and swoop again to pick off dwarves that stray from the pack. Furthermore, Giant Eagles show a tendency to avoid any dwarf armed with a crossbow, rendering your best chance of killing it that much harder.

Some players suggest abandoning your fortress and start a new one far, far away when encountering a skeletal giant eagle on embark. To witness its cruel devastation may scar you for life, they say.

The Horror

Insta-kill

One way to cheat your way out of a sticky situation is by modding the eagle entry. Wait for the bird to fly in the air and then save your game. Open the raw/objects/creature_large_mountain.txt file and delete the [FLIER] tag from the Giant Eagle. Reload your game and enjoy watching the bird plummet to its death. (Note that if it survives, or any new ones spawn, they can still attack your dwarves!)

Taming

Giant Eagles can be caught in cage traps, however this is extremely rare. A much easier option, although not quite as profitable, is to buy them from the elves. If they are caught or bought, they can be tamed, and having a giant eagle hovering outside your base is an excellent defense mechanism. Watch as they ignore your idiots stay inside orders, and utterly destroy your enemies.

V · T · E Creatures
Races	Dwarf • Elf • Goblin • Human • Kobold
Animals	Alligator • Beak dog • Bilou • Black-crested gibbon • Black-handed gibbon • Black bear • Bonobo • Cat • Cave crocodile • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Cougar • Cow • Deer • Dog • Donkey • Elephant • Elk • Fox • Gazelle • Giant bat • Giant cave spider • Giant cave swallow • Giant cheetah • Giant desert scorpion • Giant eagle • Giant jaguar • Giant leopard • Giant lion • Giant mole • Giant olm • Giant rat • Giant tiger • Giant toad • Gorilla • Gray gibbon • Grimeling • Grizzly bear • Groundhog • Harpy • Hippo • Hoary marmot • Horse • Ice wolf • Jaguar • Large rat • Leopard • Lion • Mandrill • Mountain goat • Mule • Muskox • Naked mole dog • One-humped camel • Orangutan • Pileated gibbon • Polar bear • Raccoon • Rhesus macaque • Saltwater crocodile • Sasquatch • Siamang • Silvery gibbon • Tiger • Two-humped camel • Unicorn • Warthog • White-browed gibbon • White-handed gibbon • Wolf
Aquatic	Angelshark • Basking shark • Blacktip reef shark • Blue shark • Bluefin tuna • Bluefish • Bull shark • Carp • Cod • Coelacanth • Common skate • Conger eel • Frill shark • Giant grouper • Great barracuda • Great white shark • Halibut • Hammerhead shark • Longfin mako shark • Longnose gar • Manta ray • Marlin • Milkfish • Nurse shark • Ocean sunfish • Opah • Pike • Sea lamprey • Sea monster • Sea serpent • Shortfin mako shark • Spiny dogfish • Spotted wobbegong • Stingray • Sturgeon • Swordfish • Tigerfish • Tiger shark • Walrus • Whale • Whale shark • Whitetip reef shark
Humanoids	Antman • Batman • Blizzard man • Cave swallowman • Dark gnome • Fire imp • Fire man • Foul blendec • Frogman • Gremlin • Iron man • Leechman • Lizardman • Magma man • Merperson • Mountain gnome • Mud man • Nightwing • Ogre • Olmman • Ratman • Satyr • Slugman • Snailman • Snakeman • Strangler • Tigerman • Troglodyte • Troll • Werewolf
Semi-Megabeasts	Cyclops • Ettin • Giant • Minotaur
Megabeasts	Bronze colossus • Dragon • Hydra • Titan
Nonexistent	Centaur • Chimera • Griffon • Treant • Wizard