Four legs vs two legs
How would a four-legged bird's flight differ from a regular two-legged one?
Would it be slower in flight but have more power taking off?
The bird in question is modeled on a bird of prey.
(four legs of equal size and two wings)
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1 answer
Most vertibrate life on earth follows a 4 limb body plan (in this instance, the wings are two limbs and the legs are the other two).
There are a number of mythical creatures with 6 limbs; Pegasus, griffons, dragons, etc.
One way to get 4 legs and wings is to have the wings double as legs.
Something like the Quetzalcoatlus, which probably used it's wings as extra feet for instance.
But you probably wouldn't want to ride these for long distances on the ground.
Really the only reason to have a flying mount is to fly. A ground animal can carry more weight. It can haul a load. It can wear heavy armor.
If a creature can fly, having limited ground mobility isn't a bad trade. If you need to get somewhere quickly, take off. If you need to get somewhere and don't want to be seen in the air, take a horse.
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