Roc (Rukh)
The roc, called rukh in Persian, is a colossal bird of prey from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. With wings that blot out the sun and talons large enough to lift an elephant, it carries its prey to mountain-top nests. In the voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, sailors mistake its egg for a dome, and the furious bird hurls stones at ships that break it.