Roc

By Ava Chiang
What is the Roc? The Roc is an enormous bird of prey from
Arabian Mythology that is rumored to be
4 stories tall, with a wingspan of 48 ft, a
snake-like thin forked tongue, and a
mouth full of sharp pointed teeth. The
mythology is most likely based on the
now extinct elephant-bird of
Madagascar. The genetically closest
relative of the elephant bird is the kiwi.
Where is it found?
Where is it active? The origin of the Roc is around India.
However, legends such as “Sinbad the
Sailor” from 1001 Arabian Nights and
Italian explorer Marco Polo’s record of his
exploration to China in the 13th century
showed that the Roc is also active around
Madagascar and other east-African islands.
When is it active?
Although the elephant bird of Madagascar is
nocturnal, stories have described the Roc in
daylight so it is possible that the Roc is
crepuscular. This means that it is active at
dawn and dusk so that its foraging needs
are fulfilled and it escapes the heat of
midday and chill of midnight.
Where does it find
The Roc is rumored to never land on
shelter? Earth, except on Mt. Qaf, the center of the
world. Comparing stories of its location
with geographic features, Mt. Qaf is
possibly the Caucasus Mountains, which
is located between Asia and Europe, with
Mt. Elbrus being the highest peak in
Europe.
What does it eat? What
eats it?
The Roc is a quaternary predator
(carnivorous) and its diet includes
humans and elephants. The Roc has no
known predators.
 How does it reproduce? The Roc reproduces through sexual reproduction,
with males carrying out mating flights with calls
Where does it reproduce? that resemble rolling thunder to attract female

When does it reproduce? partners. Like other birds, it reproduces during the
spring where there are higher temperatures. The
female guards the nest, which is traditionally
located on top of Mt. Qaf. According to legend, Mt.
Qaf is the only place Rocs can land, so it is
assumed that they reproduce there as well. Rocs
appear to be solitary but monogamous organisms,
with young birds leaving the nest after they reach
maturity.
 The eggs of a Roc are shaped like a huge white
How many offsprings does dome and spans 150 ft, each clutch size is around
one to four eggs. The female develops a patch of
it produce? How are the bare skin that exposes warm blood vessels close to
the surface that keeps the eggs warm. The
offsprings cared for? incubation period is 70 to 80 days with the
nesting period being anywhere from four to six
weeks (after the young bird is fully independent) or
for up to seven years taking care of siblings. The
offspring first survives off of the yolk sac. On the
fifth day it ventures out of the nest to eat pebbles
and tiny twigs to be stored in its gizzard. On the
sixth day it will start to forage for food.
How does it interact The Roc’s biome is the tropical
with abiotic factors? rainforest. Temperatures in rainforests
are around 68 to 93 degrees fahrenheit,
with substantial precipitation and
nutrient-rich top soil, which provides for
plentiful prey that Rocs as carnivores
survive on. The light winds with low
wind speed above rainforests enable
Rocs to easily travel between the forests
and its nest on the mountains
Where is its place in
the food chain? The Roc is one of the biggest and fiercest
predators of its habitat. It is large
enough to cover the sun when it flies and
creates winds like hurricanes when it
flaps its wings. Its teeth are sharp and
pointy, and it has talons large enough to
be swords.
Could the Roc really exist?
● Pelagornis sandersi (extinct) - wingspan of 20-24 ft
● Argentavis magnificens (extinct) - wingspan 17-21 ft

Both species have the ability to fly. Therefore, it is physiologically possible for the Roc to
exist. However, the Roc would not be “as big as a plane” with a wingspan of 48 ft and
simultaneously be able to snatch up prey the size of elephants because that would exceed
the limits of wing-load. Even the Quetzalcoatlus northropi and Hatzegopteryx, pterosaurs
with wingspans of 30 ft, cannot carry prey of that size. Due to the large amount of
calcium and protein it needs, the Roc would still be carnivores but it may hunt by feet
lijke the pterosaurs.