Electrofinch

The Electrofinch is the terrifying boss of the Railroad Hole in Pikmin: New World. It has a mildly frightening appearance with a body like a small bird except that it is metallic and robotic-looking. It also lacks anything that could correspond to legs or feet, meaning that this aerial beast is constantly on the wing. It has two very large port-holelike eyes that glow like a lighthouse. It also has a small beak. The creature constantly has electric pulses flowing along its surface, allowing it to fire a bolt of static from its wings at Pikmin below. However, it must first spot its prey before it can kill any Pikmin, which means that they must be inside one of the twin spotlights projected by this creature's massive eyes. The creature can also swoop down to the ground to pick up up to five Pikmin in its beak at once and then fly back up into the air to eat them. These Pikmin can also be saved by preventing the raging cyborg from ascending fast enough causing it to drop the Pikmin to the ground and the flap back up into the air. Though it may seem to be purely a robot, it is actually partially organic. This is both evidenced by its Piklopedia entry and the fact that small feathers begin to fall from its dinted underbody when it reaches low health. Only living creatures can produce feathers, meaning that it is actually a living bird underneath all of its machinery. It heals very quickly, making it a difficult foe. When it finally dies, it will split apart in an explosion of light and feathers. Its underbody will fall down and explode, leaving behind the Blare Beacon, and its backside will fall down to the ground as an empty shell for the Pikmin to carry back to the Dolphin Pod.

Strategy
The beast flies around the circular arena with its large eyes facing both ways, projecting large spotlights that search for Pikmin to electrocute. It is best to use Yellow Pikmin, as they can be thrown the highest and are also immune to the electricity that it shoots out of its wings. Yellows must be thrown directly up at it if they are to hit it. When this happens it will immediately stop and emit a powerful shriek, giving the player a chance to throw more Pikmin at it. It will attempt to use its beak to pick the Pikmin off of its body and throw them onto the ground, but this can be fixed by throwing Pikmin at it in a continuous stream, reusing the Pikmin that were thrown off. It is impossible to ground but can still be stunned with Purple Pikmin. During the time that it is stunned, it holds its wings out straight and glides up and down, bouncing along the ground. This also makes it a lot easier to hit, but it is hard to get Purples up there at all. The beast's eye lights can also be turned off using Turquoise Pikmin, resulting in it flying about in a random, awkward pattern, unable to attack. During this time it flies low to the ground allowing for it to be stunned. The Cream Pikmin's buzzing attack is surprisingly ineffective against this creature, even though it is normally effective against airborne enemies.

Olimar's notes

 * "Upon hatching, this creature has already infused itself with machinery, giving it the capability to fly away from its nest immediately and without the aid of its parents. It becomes more and more machine-like as it grows, eventually to the point where the machine's internal computer controls the creature's nervous system entirely. This computer is set up with an automatic instinct drive which is automatically activated to tell if creatures are predators or prey. If prey, it can use its muscles to generate an electric pulse that can paralyze small organisms. These muscles also power its rechargeable battery, allowing it to function."

Louie's notes

 * "Corrode the metallic surface of this beast's skin with hydrochloric acid and then peel off all of the rust left behind. The resulting paper-thin wafer is fairly bitter but crunchy and with a very strong metallic tang to it. It doesn't taste particularly good, but it certainly wakes you up!"

Sagittarius's notes

 * "Electric pulses, razor-sharp beak, piercing cries early in the morning and a general freakish half-bird-half-machine appearance should be enough to convince you to leave this beast alone when found in the wild."

Libra's notes

 * "The creature is massive and metallic, meaning that it is not suitable for turning into clothing. Instead, use its metal body to create a huge limo. Its shiny metal surface is of pure elegance and its sun-bright eyes make headlights that are the brightest on the streets. But best of all, the internal computer is pre-programmed and still fully functional after the creature's death, allowing for an autopilot that can be redirected to a different location at any time!"