Guide to Pets Based on Real Birds (WIP)

[kes.]

Hello!
My name is Kes, I'm a North American birder and bird enthusiast, and as I've been getting back into Chicken Smoothie I've started hoarding pets that are based on real bird species!

This guide is primarily for the sake of giving myself easy access to sources, species, and other information regarding my hoard. But I would also love for others to have access to this resource if it interests anyone else! Additionally, if anyone knows of any pets that are not listed here, or has any information on pets that I could not 100% identify, please feel free to comment or PM me :)

Resources:
I was inspired to create this guide by catplushie's cat guide! As far as I could tell there is no guide that's the same as this one, however, Fluffystar has an amazing Google sheet of pretty much all of the information that I'm including here! I will be cross-referencing what I find with their information. I'm using Transpets as a source for transparent pet images, and this handy archive of monthly discussion threads to find official IDs from artists. Most bird species (that are not domestic) will include links to eBird for more information.


Pet's name: Tricolored Heron

My silly hoard mascot <3 click to see my hoard!

I would love to hear about your favorite bird/bird inspired pet <3

---------

Directory:
★ 2008 through 2015
★ 2016 through 2024
★ Pets With Bird Aesthetics
★ Bird Items

* = pet that I am personally missing in my hoard

[kes.]

2008
[none as far as I know!]

2009
February


Scarlet Macaw ---------- Blue-and-Yellow Macaw ---------- (African) Gray Parrot
by Sorren Fey



Emperor Penguin* --------- Juvenile Emperor Penguin*
by Malk



2010
April

Gray-Headed Kingfisher --------- Malachite Kingfisher --------- African Pygmy Kingfisher

Striped Kingfisher --------- Woodland Kingfisher --------- Giant Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher
by equimagine, revised by Chia. artist confirmation


August

Indian Peafowl --------- Female Indian Peafowl
by Nepherim


Thanksgiving

Domestic Turkey
by Tyr


Store Pets

Raven sp.*
by Selcouth



2011
January

Emperor Penguin --------- Adélie Penguin* --------- Gentoo Penguin

Magellanic Penguin --------- Southern Rockhopper Penguin --------- King Penguin
by DisabledLlama. artist confirmation



February

Barn Owl --------- Bald Eagle --------- Eurasian Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon* --------- Eurasian Jay
by Yulynh, some artist confirmations found on this thread



March

Labrador Duck
by Tyr, artist confirmation



October


Monk Parakeet ---------- Golden Parakeet/Conure

Nanday Parakeet/Conure ---------- Sun Parakeet/Conure ---------- Monk Parakeet
by Leurai, artist confirmation



Christmas

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw
by Tyr



2012
January

Blue Jay --------- Bullock's Oriole --------- Northern Cardinal

American Goldfinch --------- Asian Green Bee-Eater
by Tyr, artist confirmation



March


Mallard -------- Eurasian Wigeon

Domestic Muscovy Duck -------- Mandarin Duck -------- Juvenile Mandarin Duck*
by Malk
The duckling PPS is up for interpretation, but out of the adult duck options,
Mandarin seems to be the best fit.



June

Yellow Budgerigar -------- Yellow-Face Budgerigar

Wild-Type Budgerigar -------- Blue Budgerigar
by Leurai
Used this helpful website on captive-bred budgie colors and mutations.
If anyone has better names for these budgie morphs, let me know!



August

Juvenile Eurasian Eagle-Owl --------- Spectacled Owl -------- Barn Owl

Snowy Owl -------- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
by Tyr, artist confirmation



September

Cockatiel ---------- Scarlet Macaw --------- Keel-Billed Toucan

Atlantic Puffin -------- Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
by Tyr, artist confirmation
not confirmed to the species level.




Osprey -------- Red-Tailed Hawk -------- Bald Eagle
by Tyr, artist confirmation x



Beach Event

Osprey
by Tyr



2013
March

Rhode Island Red Chicken --------- Leghorn Chicken

Light Sussex Chicken --------- Barred Rock Chicken
by Tyr, | Aloy |, Solloby, and Atwood; artist confirmation



May

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird --------- Snowcap

White-Booted Racket-Tail --------- Violet Sabrewing
by Sorren Fey, artist confirmation
some species not confirmed.




Male Fawn/Clear-Cheek Zebra Finch -------- Male Pied Wild-Type Zebra Finch -------- Male Black-Cheek Zebra Finch

Male Wild-Type Zebra Finch -------- Male Brown Zebra Finch -------- Male Mask Zebra Finch
by Tea.Time
no artist confirmation, and I am not good at domestic bird morphs.
feel free to let me know if there are better names/identifications! I used
this website as well as the monthly discussion thread to name these.
I believe they are all based on male finches due to the flank spotting and
intensity of colors/cheek markings.



November


Mallard -------- Tufted Duck --------- Ruddy Duck
by | Aloy |, artist confirmation
update 1/18/2024: thanks to gansey for reaching out to Aloy to confirm the species here!

It was based on a tufted duck! I just chose a couple that looked cool.

Easter


Juvenile Domestic Chicken ---------- Juvenile Domestic Chicken
by Tess
potentially not intended to be actual chicks, but they work!


Juvenile Domestic Chicken
by Tyr



CS Birthday

Cockatiel
by Yulynh



Slumber Party

Albino Raven sp. --------- Raven sp.
by Atwood, artist confirmation



2014
March

Mille Fleur d'Uccle Chicken --------- Polish Chicken ---------- Salmon Faverolle Chicken

Silkie Chicken ---------- Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Chicken
by Atwood, artist confirmation



August

Crimson-Breasted Gonolek -------- Southern Masked-Weaver --------- Lilac-Breasted Roller
by Verdana, artist confirmation
the species names on these ones are a little funky
(aka not what Verdana originally says) as I am using the
Clement's checklist for common names. roller not confirmed.



September

Snowy Owl
by Tyr, artist confirmation


November

Juvenile Domestic Mallard --------- Hen Mallard ---------- Mallard

Black Swan --------- Mandarin Duck ---------- Pekin Duck (Domestic Mallard)

Mute Swan
by sketchi



Easter

European Robin --------- Eurasian Blue Tit*

Common Chaffinch --------- White Wagtail
by Sorren Fey, artist confirmation
only wagtail confirmed.



Thanksgiving

Domestic Turkey
by Tyr



Christmas

Osprey --------- Emperor Penguin
by Tyr, Lath



Little Penguin -- Juvenile Emperor Penguin -- Juvenile Emperor Penguin
by sketchi



Barn Owl
by Tyr, artist confirmation
representing chastity in the 7 virtues litter.



2015
January

Great Horned Owl
by Tyr


July

Lesser Flamingo -------- James's (Puna) Flamingo --------- American Flamingo
by Lacuna, artist confirmation
Lacuna says that they were not originally intended
to be specific flamingo species.


October

Wattled Crane ---------- Sarus Crane ---------- Red-Crowned Crane

White-Naped Crane ---------- Gray-Crowned Crane
by Pluma


November

Snowy Owl ---------- Barn Owl --------- Great Horned Owl

Eurasian Eagle Owl --------- Melanistic Barn Owl
by Saikiyo, artist confirmation x
on the discussion thread, the prevailing theory for the last outcome
was barred owl. this never looked right to me, and my guess was some
lesser known species in the Tyto genus. I reached out to Saikiyo, and
they let me know that this outcome is a melanistic barn owl! thank you Saikiyo (:

"Hello! This one's actually a melanistic barn owl"

Easter

Juvenile Domestic Chicken ---------- Juvenile Domestic Chicken
by Lacuna



Superb Fairywren ---------- Long-Tailed Tit --------- Purple-Crowned Fairywren

Black-Capped Chickadee ---------- Azure Tit
by Saikiyo, artist confirmation


Thanksgiving

Norfolk Black Turkey (Hen) ---------- Bourbon Red Turkey ---------- Royal Palm Turkey

Ocellated Turkey ---------- Midget White Turkey
by Berkshire, artist confirmation


Christmas

Cornish Cross Chicken
by Solloby



Barn Owl ---------- Great Horned Owl ----------- Snowy Owl
by Saikiyo

[kes.]

2016
February

Mute Swan
by Pluma


June

Pink Cockatoo (Major Mitchell's Cockatoo)
by Shinryu, artist confirmation

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[kes.]

There are some pets that, while they are clearly inspired by birds or include one in the design, they are not meant to be that specific bird. I tend to go back and forth on whether I include these pets in my personal hoard, but I do still want to keep track of them. Sometimes it's hard for me to judge where a specific pet belongs, so it may be based on my personal opinion, but if you think any of these pets belong above with the real-bird pets (or vice versa), feel free to let me know!

2010
August

Indian Peafowl* --------- Indian Peafowl*
by Nepherim



2011
May

Eurasian Magpie --------- Eurasian Magpie --------- Eurasian Magpie
by Selcouth, artist confirmation


2012
September

"Golden Eagle"
by Tyr, artist confirmation


Easter

Indian Peafowl
by Sorren Fey



2014
January

Blue Jay?
by Tea.Time
not confirmed by artist, but the litter is based on "things that fly"
and it appears to be some kind of bird. doesn't exactly resemble a blue jay,
but it was the prevailing theory on the monthly discussion thread.


November

Malicious Mallard Meme
by sketchi, artist confirmation
only dog in this litter that is not a real bird,
this one is based off of a meme!


Egypt Event

Falcon sp.
by Tyr
might be a bit of a stretch, but Horus is an Egyptian god
usually represented by a falcon/falcon-headed man.
the falcon is likely either a lanner or peregrine falcon.


Christmas

Eurasian Magpie
by Lillian Nightshade


2015
March

Red-Crowned Crane --------- Indian Peafowl
by Saikiyo, artist confirmation


August

Barn Owl
by Saikiyo, apparently included to mask the chicken's wing over the moon!


Halloween

Corvus sp. ---------- Corvus sp. ---------- Corvus sp.
by sketchi



Store Pets

American Robin
by Chia



2016
April

Corvus sp.
by Saikiyo

[kes.]

Big WIP below!


Domestic Turkey
Shima.Luan, Thanksgiving 2009


"French Hens"
Selcouth, Xmas 09


Cockatiel
xmas 09


?
Selcouth, July '10

[skrapple]

I can't wait to see this finished! Seeing you do all your research for your hoard has been so fun.
As a fun aside, this is my favorite pet based on a real bird!

Carolina parakeet is one of my favorite (if a bit tragic) birds and this is such a beautiful pet. I also love that tricolored heron store pet you're using as your hoard mascot. :3

[kes.]

Thank you Skrapple! <3 I love the Carolina parakeet dragon as well, it's an absolutely gorgeous pet, I love the coloring!

I'm slowly working my way through the archives. There are some pets that are clearly inspired by birds, but aren't supposed to necessarily be that type of bird. I'm struggling trying to decide if I want to include those in the guide or not. Technically they are not a part of my hoard. Maybe I can have a separate section of the guide for pets that are aesthetically inspired by birds? I would love to hear other people's opinion on that!

Here are some examples of that kind of pet:


Also, once I finish going through all the pets, I'm thinking I'll have another section for items that are real birds as well (:

[frogfan]

I'd definitely be interested in both a "pets with no specific bird" and "bird items" list. I've got this bookmarked and I'm looking forward to see the finished list!

Please pm me if you'd like this post to be deleted in order to reserve more space

[kes.]

Thanks for the input! I'm thinking I might do that then, and keep the pets that are more "bird aesthetics" inspired in a separate post. Btw, I appreciate you keeping that monthly discussion/outcomes post updated! Very helpful when it comes to researching what artists have said about their pets.

[kes.]

While I lost steam on updating this guide, I'm still hoping to finish it at some point! I'd like to thank gansey for reaching out to | Aloy | to confirm the species inspiration for the November 2013 chicken duck litter. It's really great to get a solid confirmation on some of these pets that aren't quite as clear-cut or were never confirmed at the time of being released, and I appreciate the extra info! (: