#fcaba

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Jay Walker from Ninjago is an American Kestrel! (Falco sparverius)

Reasons for choice below cut

I see a lot of kestrels in my area, very cool little guys with massive personalities!

They're fast, loud, bold and quite the fighters. I chose specifically an American Kestrel is because of the cool blue coloring the males have.

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

The Hatchling from Outer Wilds is a Snowy Albatross! (Diomedea exulans)

Reasons for choice below cut

There's really only two reasons for this one.

1. Albatrosses have an almost comical landing, they fly most of their lives, so land isn't exactly their specialty. If you've ever seen or played Outer Wilds, landing the spaceship can get really clumsy and goofy (I somehow managed to get stuck in a tree the other day).

2. Snowy Albatrosses have one of the longest migrations of any albatross, like the rest of the family, they spend most of their life flying at sea, only coming to land to breed and raise chicks. Can you really rest or feel at home when you know the solar system, along with all you've ever known and loved, is ending in twenty two minutes?

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Simon/The Convict from Iron Lung is a São Tomé Grosbeak! (Crithagra concolor)

Reasons for choice below cut

I had briefly considered assigning Simon to a species of butcher birds (kind of obvious why, being the Butcher and all that), but ultimately went against it.

Instead, I chose a São Tomé, the largest species of canary. This idea came from the canary in a coal mine metaphor. Simon, like many canaries throughout history, was sent into a dark and unknown place with no guarantee of survival, more likely to die in there and suffocate than ever make it out. (The difference being that canaries were usually loved and cared for by their captors).

A sad little fact that also contributed to this decision is the São Tomé Grosbeaks are critically endangered, with an estimate of less than 250 left. In Iron Lung, humanity, Simon included, is just barely hanging on, surviving feels more of a miracle that they'll continue to hope and work for.

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Zane ninjago? As bird?

Zane from Ninjago is a Gyrfalcon! (Falco rusticolus)

Reasons for choice below cut

I wanted to choose a member of the falcon family because of Zane's own falcon (the brown morphs look a bit like Zane's falcon!). Gyr specifically because of their arctic habitats and aggressive fighting skills.

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Eva Stratt from Project Hail Mary is a White Tailed Eagle! (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Reasons for choice below cut

Frankly, they're absolutely gorgeous birds, and have this authoritative aura to them (at least in photos, I've yet to be lucky enough to see one in person).

In British history, they were vilified for hunting, just doing what they needed to do to ensure survival. Despite this, the species has quite the success story, and is managing to recover!

What's really interesting about them that ultimately led to this choice is that White Tailed Eagles fight the same way a similar looking American species (the bald eagle) courts. Reminds me of something...

Also in some photos the coloring of their feathers looks a lot like the coloring of Stratt's hair lol.

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Twilight from Linked Universe is a Harris Hawk! (Parabuteo unicinctus)

Reasons for choice below cut

Harris Hawks are known for working together to hunt, often likened to wolves. It's believed this behavior stems from their intelligence, which is surprisingly high for a bird of prey.

Where I'm from, U.S America, these guys really only hang around the south west (their range extends far into central and South America!), and one of my favorite things about the Twilight Princess games is the old west aesthetic a lot of it has :)

Bonus: A Harris Hawk that I've met before! His name is Stax, and is sadly declared missing. If you live in the Salt Lake valley of Utah, please keep an eye out for him!

Update: Stax has been located! He's currently hanging out on private property, and Hawk Watch is now preparing to bring him back to captivity :)

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Ava from Iron Lung is a Black Faced Ibis! (Theristicus melanopis)

Reasons for choice below cut

Originally I just chose this species for looks, Ibises look cool, intimidating, and have similar colors to Ava. Then I realized there was sort of an irony to this choice that I really enjoy.

Thoth is an Egyptian god with the head of an ibis and is the god of knowledge. Ava purposely kept knowledge hidden away from Simon during his execution mission, which may had been one of the many factors that contributed to both their deaths. Who really knows though?

[fictional-characters-as-birds]

Tsuyu Asui from My Hero Academia is a Common Potoo/Kakuy! (Nyctibius griseus)

Reasons for choice below cut

Look, I don't watch MHA, my sister does, that's the only reason I know about this character. But I mean, look at them.

Also Potoos are related to frogmouth birds.