Stirge

A stirge was a tiny magical beast that fed on the blood of other creatures. A group of stirges was known as a "thirst". Stirges were known to be used as familiars.

Description
A stirge resembled a monstrous cross between a large hummingbird and a mosquito.

Ecology
Stirges lurked in forests, caves, and swamps until a living creature passed near. They then flew down and attempted to subtly attach themselves to the creature and feed off its warm blood.

While one stirge might not seem to be a threat, these creatures often clustered in large swarms, which could quickly slay a creature from all the stirges feeding at once on the same body.

Lands
As of 1372 DR, stirges inhabited Velarswood in Harrowdale, the Duskwood in the Lake of Steam, the Umber Marshes in Aglarond, and Ardeep Forest.

Cormanthor
Stirges in Cormanthor lived in colonies that had a roaming area of around one square mile, and they slept by day. At night, they picked on weaker or smaller animals such as dogs, goats, or pheasants and sucked their blood. Female stirges outnumbered the males ten to one, and would fly to a distant area, usually the rimwood, to lay their eggs so that their young would not provide them with competition for food. The eggs were laid in a shallow hole in the ground and covered with dust or plants. The females then hibernated. Around ninety percent of the eggs were lost to predators such as badgers or wild pigs because they were unprotected and poorly disguised. When the remaining eggs hatched, the young would usually fly up to a hundred miles to establish their own territory.

The inside of broken or hatched stirge eggs contained a green foul-smelling jelly that would deter stirges from attacking for up to a whole day if it was rubbed on the skin.

Uses
In 1374 DR, the Shadowscale lizardfolk placed captured stirges inside sealed clay pots, which they would then hurl as grenades at their foes. The angry stirge would then attack the nearest living being, ignoring the undead Shadowscales.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Dungeon #18, "Irongard" • Dungeon #29, "Nymph's Reward" • Dungeon #30, "...And a Dozen Eggs" • Dungeon #39, "Below Vulture Point" • The Sword of the Dales • Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave • War of Everlasting Darkness • Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle • Hoard of the Dragon Queen • Out of the Abyss • Curse of Strahd • Waterdeep: Dragon Heist • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit • Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
 * Novels
 * Azure Bonds • Extinction
 * Video games:
 * Pool of Radiance • Gateway to the Savage Frontier • Menzoberranzan • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards