Aviarchy
an excerpt

The smaller chick was soon forced from the nest by its stronger sibling. As the days passed, the surviving chick’s down was replaced by pinfeathers, its beak grew sharp, and it began to speak. The young gyrfalcon named itself Kretchket, and Lord Rannoch grew fond of his grandson. Every day as he pulled meat from the carcass of that day’s catch he told his charge of the ways of the kingdom, and regaled him with stories of the King. Young Kretchket listened raptly, and looked forward to the day’s feeding more for his grandfather’s stories than the meal itself.
Rannoch told Kretchket of the days before the King came to this valley. Way back then, birds were not allied, and fought amongst themselves. Falcons hunted the partridges, harriers warred with the ravens over pickings, and no one was assured that they would be alive by the end of the day. Fearsome beasts roamed the plains. Wolves stalked the deer and foxes raided nests and ate the prey that rightfully belonged to the raptors. And the strangest beast of all built caves out of rocks, stole the skins of other animals to put over their own, and took the birds from the sky with their arrows and stones.