Cockatrice

The cockatrice was a small avian magical beast. It was notorious for its petrification ability.

Description
Although about the size of a large turkey or goose and weighing, a cockatrice more closely resembled a chicken, but it was a hideous hybrid with the wings of a bat and a lizard-like tail. This tail had yellow-green scales, its bat wings were a grey shade, their feet and beak were yellow, and their feathers were of a golden-brown hue.

A male cockatrice had a rooster's wattles and comb, which the females lacked. These wattles and comb, as well as the eyes and tongue of both sexes, were all red.

Behavior
Cockatrices had an animal level of intelligence.

Biology
Female cockatrices were very rare, much more so than the males.

These creatures were closely related to the pyrolisk.

Combat
Any creature that a cockatrice bit could be permanently turned into stone. Prior to the Time of Troubles, this petrifying aura extended even into the Astral and Ethereal planes, much like that of a basilisk.

Cockatrices were immune to their own petrifying bite and that of other cockatrices, though not of other petrifying creatures and spells.

Cockatrices ferociously attacked any creature that appeared to threaten them or their lairs. Typically, flocks of them would attempt to overwhelm or confuse their opponents, and flew at their faces.

Habitats
These creatures could be found almost any region, though they typically inhabited temperate or tropical regions, either underground or above ground in plains.

Beyond the Prime Material plane, scattered numbers of cockatrices could be found in the Elemental Plane of Earth.

Usages
Some creatures were known to harvest the venom of cockatrices. Following the Spellplague, this venom typically fetched a price of 100 gold pieces.