Buzzard wasp

Buzzard wasps are chimerical creatures native to the Si Wong Desert.

History
While Team Avatar was trapped in the desert, a buzzard wasp captured Momo, prompting Aang to rescue Momo with the use of airbending. In anger, the Avatar sent an air blade several hundred yards, knocking the creature down.

Anatomy
These creatures are six legged insects that have a vulture-like head and a bee or wasp-like body. They have brown, white, and gray stripes on their abdomen, and their necks are dark gray with a light gray ruff at the body. These creatures also have a beak and wings attached to their thorax and are capable of flight. Their beaks and talons are razor sharp.

Connection
Buzzard wasps seem to be a combination of a vulture and a wasp. Vultures are large scavenger birds that are distinguished by their bald heads.



Behavior
The buzzard wasps live in caves they dug out of Si Wong Rock. The gooey substance on their cave walls is produced by the females and has the flavor of rotten penguin meat, as Sokka remarked. It is the equivalent of honey and produced in a similar way. It is used to feed their young. They will attack if provoked by something invading their nest. In such cases, they can be considered dangerous. They primarily subsist on carrion, but will hunt live game if they are desperate for food.

Trivia

 * While Sokka was under the hallucinogenic effects of cactus juice, he called them "circle birds".
 * Their name and appearance seems to be a pun on vulture bees, a type of bee that feeds on rotting meat instead of nectar.
 * Many years after the Hundred Year War, a pro-bending team named itself the Bau Ling Buzzard Wasps.