Curiously, Star Trek's Klingons and Romulans both have Bird-of-Prey starships. First seen in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 8, "Balance of Terror", the T'Liss-class Romulan Bird-of-Prey is so-called because of the predatory bird painted on its hull. Later, in Star Trek: The Original Series season 3, episode 2, "The Enterprise Incident", a Romulan ship looks just like the D7-class Klingon battle cruiser in TOS season 3, episode 13, "Elaan of Troyius". Instead of being a Romulan ship, the iconic D7 would go on to become the basis for almost all Klingon ships in Star Trek shows.
The Bird-of-Prey name that was originally given to Romulan ships became associated almost exclusively with Klingon ships later in the Star Trek timeline. With a saucer section and side nacelles, the T'Liss-class looked more like a Starfleet vessel than later Romulan ships. Star Trek: The Original Series production designer Matt Jeffries gave the Klingon D7 a distinctive shape that was easily interpreted as an enemy vessel. Jeffries' manta ray-inspired design looked more like an actual bird in flight than the Romulan ship did, but that's not the only reason the Klingons got to keep the Bird-of-Prey name.
Why Klingons & Romulans Both Have Bird-of-Prey Starships In Star Trek
TOS' Limited Budget Led To Story Developments For The Klingons & Romulans
Klingons and Romulans both have Bird-of-Prey starships due to one behind-the-scenes decision during production of Star Trek: The Original Series season 3, episode 2, "The Enterprise Incident". The original model for the Romulan Bird-of-Prey from "Balance of Terror" was no longer available, but TOS season 3, episode 13, "Elaan of Troyius", had already been produced, and using the Klingon D7 model was cheaper than designing another new Romulan ship. Star Trek producers also hoped that showing off the Klingon D7 battle cruiser whenever possible would help recoup costs with model kit sales, so it was a win-win.
The ship swap between Romulans and Klingons in Star Trek: The Original Series' "The Enterprise Incident" is explained with a single line of dialogue, in which Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) simply reports that the Romulans are now using Klingon-style ships. The in-universe reason for the behind-the-scenes solution had the added benefit of making the Star Trek universe more interconnected at a time when that was rare. This brief alliance set up the later fallout that led to ongoing animosity between Klingons and Romulans, and explains why Klingons have cloaking technology, even after they stopped using the same starship designs.
Klingons Kept The Bird-Of-Prey & Star Trek: TNG Romulans Have The Warbird
The Klingon Bird-Of-Prey & Romulan Warbird Are Both Iconic Star Trek Ships
Star Trek's Klingons kept the Bird-of-Prey design after Star Trek: The Original Series, while Romulans reinvented the Romulan Warbird to become one of the deadliest starships in Star Trek. Originally, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was going to feature a Romulan Bird-of-Prey commandeered by Klingons. The script changed, but the name stuck with the updated Klingon ship. The Star Trek movies made the Klingon Bird-of-Prey much more popular, especially after Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) captured Kruge's (Christopher Lloyd) B'rel-class Bird-of-Prey in Star Trek III and took it back in time in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
|
Years Active |
Crew Complement |
Length |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
D7 Battle Cruiser |
2250s–2270s |
430 |
228 meters |
|
K't'inga Class Battlecruiser |
2273–2375 |
800 |
350 meters |
|
B'rel Class Bird-of-Prey |
23rd century |
12 to 40* |
60 to 139 meters* |
|
K'Vort Class Bird-of-Prey |
23rd century |
300 |
320 meters |
|
Class 5 Bird-of-Prey |
2380s |
6–12 |
* Exact measurements of the B'rel class vary according to different sources.
Without the budget concerns that had directed many choices in Star Trek: The Original Series, the Klingon and Romulan starships in Star Trek: The Next Generation's 24th century could be more distinctive. The Class 5 Klingon Bird-of-Prey in TNG and most subsequent Klingon ship designs were variations on the iconic look. The Romulan Warbird was a sleek, stealthy update on the design shared with Klingons, with a downturned nose and curved wings, not to mention an impressive array of weaponry. With the development of the Warbird, the Romulans abandoned the Bird-of-Prey, leaving the name—and the design—to Star Trek's Klingons.
