The Parched peckerel is a recurring monster in the Dragon Quest series, first appearing in Dragon Quest IX. It is a desert-dwelling, flightless bird monster that has taken on serpentine features.
Parched peckerels are tall, flightless birds similar to ostriches or emus with sandy yellowish-orange plumage. Their serpentine features include their heads, with tongues poking out of their mouths like snakes, grey scaled undersides running down their necks, and long thin tails. They have a long, curved white crest protruding from the backs of their heads. The peckerels are very fast, able to enhance their natural agility with magic, and will flee when threatened. They are able to send their opponents to sleep or into a state of confusion with their attacks. The birds' favourite food is duneberries.
Known as 'sandstreakers' for their insane speed, which is added to with Acceleratle, and supplemented with sleep atttacks. Evolved with an ostrich was so captivated by a cobra that it copied its every quality and become a new breed of bird.
Parched peckerels must be defeated as part of Quest #28: Desert Foxes until they drop ten duneberries. They only have a chance to drop them when the quest has been accepted and it can be repeated as many times as desired.
Parched peckerels appeared from the beginning of the game. The speedy birds are still able to boost theirs and their fellow monsters' speed with Accelerate and are prone to fleeing at a moment's notice. They are now able to inflict confusion with their attacks instead of putting them to sleep.
These freaky fowl enjoy the finer things in life and will suck a duneberry dry with their snake-like tongues as soon as they come across one out in the desert