Not prominent? That's awfully strange. They're very common on my world, though among the bird tribes we crown our kings based on who is the most exceptional one for the job. Begnion is a theocracy, but the senate became so bloated and corrupt that they tried to overthrow their apostle. It didn't work out very well for them.

As for us laguz, there's definite physical differences. The beast tribe are mostly felines, the birds consist of hawks, ravens, and herons, and the dragons are divided into types based on their scale color. The dragons have their own nation, the cats have theirs, and us birds split our lands apart some time ago to live separately.