A tall humanoid species descended from bird-like ancestors, first seen as ambassadors in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and later given named characters in Star Trek: Discovery.
The Betelgeusians were designed for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where a group of their ambassadors stands at the air tram station in San Francisco as Admiral Kirk arrives, and one serves in the crew of the refitted USS Enterprise. The costume designer described them as very tall and descended from leopard-like birds.
Discovery brought the species back. The courier Cosmo Traitt, who pursues Cleveland Booker over a stolen trance worm in That Hope Is You, Part 1, was identified by the production as a Betelgeusian. Lieutenant Commander Yor, a time soldier from an alternate reality, appears as a hologram in Terra Firma, Part 1.
A crewman named Valentine, rescued from the wreck of the USS Hiawatha in Brother, wears similar make-up, though sources disagree about his species.