Can MLP griffons have the head of any bird, or only the head of an eagle?

[pteraptor 7]

Can MLP griffons have the head of any bird, or only the head of an eagle?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

From my understanding a MLP griffon can have the head of any bird and the body of any cat. IIRC, there was one griffon with the head of an owl.

[pteraptor 7]

2 minutes ago, PathfinderCS said:

From my understanding a MLP griffon can have the head of any bird and the body of any cat. IIRC, there was one griffon with the head of an owl.

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[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

I also remember there being an owl-headed griffon. Aren't some of the griffons' heads also designed more akin to hawks/ospreys as well? I seem to remember there being a griffon with a more hawklike head.

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

I’m not really sure, but now I really want to see a pink flamingo griffon.

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

6 minutes ago, ShootingStar159 said:

I’m not really sure, but now I really want to see a pink flamingo griffon.

That would be awesome.

I have to wonder how if possible, griffons receive different birds as bases. How do their genetics tie into this? Do all griffons resemble birds of prey, or do different populations have different species or types of bird as bases (for example, a wetland variety resembling flamingos as suggested above, or a rainforest-dwelling variety resembling birds of paradise?).

Hey, the MLP Movie art book featured various bird bases for the hippogriffs (which have way less bird-like final designs than the show's griffons do), so it can't be impossible.

Edited November 21, 2017 by Them's Seeing Ponies

[StormBlaze 991]

if you watch the Griffinstone episode, there are different bird heads. Vultures and Owls are noticable, but I expect there may be a few parrots in it too. Not all of them are generic eagle looking birds of prey. 

Ive also seen a ton of OCs that are made of different birds. Magpies and Pigeons are popular. 

[Twisted Cyclone 🚓 6,221]

If a griffon can have any head of a bird, I wonder what a griffon with a head of a cockatiel would look like. 

[DonMaguz 1,023]

I wouldn't go as far as to say "any bird" but at least "any bird of prey".

It would be weird to see any toucan, parrot or humming bird headed gryphon.