Hippogriffs have the wings, front legs, and head of a large sparrow, while their tail and body are those of a sable antelope. Their feathers and coats have a color similar to that of a green-headed tanager, while the torso and posterior extremities are rusty in females and juveniles, which tend to darken in adulthood, often with a bluish tinge. Hippogriffs are no longer than 6 feet and can weigh up to 100kg.
Hippogriffs nest in vast grassy grasslands, rugged hills, and flowing grasslands, but some rare and exceptionally resistant Hippogriffs establish their nests within niches or canyon walls. Although some seem to believe that female Hippogriffs give live birth, the majority of accounts of their ecology specifically mention their eggs.
Notoriously, they live in small familiar groups and seldom travel far from their nest. They approach Anthros or settlements even more rarely, of their own free will. Hippogriffs prefer to feed on small mammals and reptiles, such as rodents and snakes, but they graze on grass after any meat meal to aid digestion. Although they are regarded as clumsy attackers, flocks of hungry Hippogriffs could attack en masse and even kill large prey, such as bisons, and are even capable of carrying them away in their talons.
Their dietary habits can be dangerous to both ranchers and their livestock, so ranching communities often set bounties on them. Victims of these hunts are often taxidermied, and preserved Hippogriffs frequently decorate frontier taverns and remote outposts. Beyond that, however, Hippogriffs are far easier to train than Griffins, yet as smart as horses, and are trained as mounts by some elite companies of cavalry, patrolling the skies and swooping down on unsuspecting enemies.