Songbird (Books)

Songbirds are seen and mentioned briefly in the How to Train Your Dragon Book series.

Description
The grouping 'Songbirds' encompasses a large number of taxa and species from all over the world. Songbirds are sometimes also referred to as Oscines in scientific circles, and may be classified as the Clade or Order Passeri. Songbirds are characterized by their complex songs, or vocalizations as well as the organs that produce the sound. Other non-oscine birds may make complex vocalizations, but their voice apparatii are structurally different (an example being the Clade Tyranni).

Songbird songs vary quite widely across species, ranging from those that are very lyrical to the human ear, to more harsh rough sounds such as the crow's cawing. The song's purpose is for communication between members of the species, mostly for marking territory and for mating behaviors.

Function
Songbirds have little function in the Book series, but are mentioned in How to Speak Dragonese as a food item for humans. Specifically the lark is mentioned on the menu of the Fat Consul. Larks (Family Alaudidae) are widespread in Europe and Asia, and occur less commonly in North America and Australia. Larks have been a food source for humans, particularly in Europe, where they have been prepared in pies, stews, and cooked whole. Lark's tongue is considered a delicacy.

In reality many other songbird species are eaten by humans, as well as kept as pets for their beauty and singing.

How to Train Your Dragon
Songbirds are not mentioned but rather seen in an image of Hiccup playing the harp. It is meant to convey him being a 'sissy' if he were to back off from a challenge issued by Snotlout.

How to Speak Dragonese
"Lark's tongue soup with crunchy nanodragon heads on the side" is a dish listed on a menu for the Fat Consul of Rome. It also includes a variety of other creatures, including dragons.