The Tikiarri were perfectly designed for flight - light, hollow bones, large wings, a razor sharp beak and excellent eyesight. They were carrion eaters. Tikiarri had a natural life span of about 30 local years, but most males died in combat or during hunting by age 20, and most females died before age 20 because they were forced to produce young as soon as they were able (between eight and 10 years of age).
The Tikiarri bred the wulkarsk, both for ferocity and for the ability to follow simple commands. The Tikiarri hunted by turning loose a group of wulkarsk, then tracking their progress while gliding on the air currents. Once an animal had been killed by the wulkarsk, the Tikiarri swooped down upon the scene and feasted, often bringing scraps back to the nesting area for other members of the tribe. The Tikiarri were highly competitive both within the tribe and with neighboring clans and inter-tribal warfare was common.
Tribes were theoretically ruled by the bravest and most capable male, but in reality the most devious male eliminated all other contenders and assumed control of a tribe by default. Tribal leaders were extremely fortunate if they survived their first year of rule. The tribes were also obsessed with advanced weaponry since a trader introduced them to blasters. The tribes often held hunts to kill off-worlders for their weaponry and most tribes had one or two blaster pistols, often controlled by the tribe leader.