Griffon

Griffons are ferocious avian carnivores with the muscular bodies of lions and the head, forelegs, and wings of eagles. 

Habitat

Griffons lair in high rocky clifftop aeries, building their nests from sticks, leaves, and the bones of their prey. Once Griffons establish a territory, they remain in that area until the food supply has been exhausted.

Behavior

Griffons hunt in small prides, flying high over plains and forests near their rocky cliff-side aeries. Herd animals and horses are the prey they crave above all others, though they also hunt and kill Hippogriffs. When it spots horses, a griffon screeches to alert its pride mates, which descend quickly toward their prey. When they attack, Griffons are as swift and deadly as eagles, even as they strike with a lion's savage might and grace.
Aggressive and territorial, Griffons engage in brutal aerial combat to defend their aeries, tearing and shredding the wings of flying intruders to send them spiraling to the ground. Creatures that climb to a Griffon's lair are plucked from the cliffs and eaten, or are knocked from the heights to go tumbling to their deaths.
A Griffon raised from an egg can be trained to serve as a mount. However, such training is time consuming, expensive, and dangerous. Expert trainers well versed in the Griffon's legendary ferocity are typically the only ones able to raise these creatures safely.
Once trained, a Griffon is a fierce and loyal steed. It bonds with one master for life, fighting to the death to protect that rider. A Griffon mount retains its ravenous appetite for horseflesh, and a wise master ensures that a Griffon remains satiated with other prey when passing through civilized lands.