Huntinpeck family

The huntinpeck family is a family first named in Hey! Pikmin, though it may have been introduced in Pikmin 3. There is only one confirmed member of this family, but given their similarities, the Scornets and Scornet Maestro may also belong here. Members of this family resemble chimaeras of insects and birds, and hunt by impaling prey on their sharp beaks before consuming them.

Members

Sparrowhead

Main article: Sparrowhead.

Sparrowheads are small creatures that usually travel in groups of at least two. They have a yellow, orange-dotted body, and a small pointy beak. When approached by the player, they appear from off-screen, stand in place to face a Pikmin, and after a few seconds, swoop down the for kill. This pause leaves them vulnerable, and they only take one Pikmin throw to kill.

Naming

The name "huntinpeck" is a portmanteau of "hunting" and "peck", since this predator birds swoops down to peck at Pikmin, but it is also a pun on the expression "hunt and peck". This expression refers to people typing with a typewriter or computer keyboard, that have to first hunt down the key they want, so they can then peck at it with one finger. The fact that a Sparrowhead will show up and then stand in place to search for a Pikmin, before finally swooping in helps explain the choice of the family name. Finally, since they usually hunt in groups, the name could also be a pun on "hunt in packs".