|
Songbirds are a large group of birds that make a nominal appearance in the DreamWorks Dragons Franchise.
Description[]
Songbirds are any bird belonging to the Suborder Passeri, and are most noted for their complex "voice box", or Syrinx. For the most part, songbirds are most known for their singing and sometimes imitation capabilities. Crows and ravens are also songbirds, though to human ears they sound harsh, but are adept mimics. Songbirds are found worldwide - even in Antarctica - in a myriad of habitats.
The bird seen in the original movie is not named, but bears a resemblance to an adult male snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). They are one of the Northernmost occurring songbird species. However, as their habitat is mostly tundra and therefore few trees, they usually build their nest on the ground, in burrows, or rock cavities.
Sparrows are also mentioned very briefly. "True Sparrows", also referred to as "Old World Sparrows", belong to the Family Passeridae. The most common species in Scandinavia and the world over as an introduced species is the House Sparrow. Like other sparrow species, this small bird eats primarily seeds, but will readily eat insects and may also opportunistically eat other things associated with living around humans.
Crows, Ravens, and Rooks are the largest members of songbirds and belong to the Genus Corvus. They have variable scratching caws rather than a melodious song. Several species are found in Scandinavian countries. They are considered highly intelligent and do mate for life.
Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are a a songbird occurring in North and Central America and do not occur in Europe. They are known for the male's bright red coloring and black mask across the eyes, as well as a crest on both males and females. It is the official state bird for Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Great Tit (Parus major) is a small songbird ranging widely across Europe and into Scandinavia and across the center of Asia, not quite to the Pacific Coast. It is easily identified by its black cap, white cheeks, and black chin and stripe sown the middle of its yellow breast.
There are two species of canary: the Wild Canary (Serinus canaria), also known as the Atlantic Canary, and the Domestic Canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica). They are both in the genus Serinus of the family Fringillidae. The main color of a canary is a light shade of yellow. However, the domestic species were also bred red, white and orange. They feed mostly on seeds, but the wild canaries also eat small insects. The males have a beautiful silvery twittering song, both wild and domesticated.
Function[]
Songbirds have no function in the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise, other than as background detail.
In reality, various species are eaten, as well as their nests and eggs. Songbirds are also kept as pets.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
While Toothless is grounded, he looks up at the trees and notices a bird at its nest, flying. He burns a place to lay down and rests.
Stoick also complains that his son Hiccup "has the attention span of a sparrow".
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 3[]
In the episode "Family on the Edge", Tuffnut mentions canaries.
| “ | Either you start singing like a canary or we do. | ” |
| — Tuffnut to Dagur |
Season 5[]
When Hiccup and Dagur interrogate a Chicken Feed Salesman, he mentions Heather as a "beautiful raven-haired woman".
| “ |
|
” |
Dragons: Rescue Riders[]
Season 1[]
A crow is heard, but not seen, in the episode "Boo to You".
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 2[]
In "The Tangled Web", Tom and D'Angelo save a bird that made its nest on top of a windmill. However, Tom slips after grabbing the bird and is caught at the last second by Philip Baker, D'Angelo's father. The man scolds the boys for endangering themselves and takes the bird away.
Season 3[]
In "Empty Fireworm Nest", when Tom states that the Fireworms can sense one and other's presence D'Angelo compares it to a flock of birds.
Season 7[]
In "Hearts of Heroes" when Buzzsaw finds Ford and Winston tied up Ford tells him the riders did this to them and lies that they said nothing but Winston states that Ford sung like a canary in which they start arguing with each other.
Games[]
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
Perhaps as an homage to the small bird scene in the first movie, the Foreverwing can bring back a bird's nest after searching for the player to use toward completing Collections.
A chick of a songbird in a nest is also an item that can be found while searching with Toothless to complete collections during Easter.
Songbird houses are a decoration that the player can purchase from the seasonal market around spring for 350 Thawfest Pennons. Another decoration, named "Twa Corbies", was introduced in the game with the 1.51 update. It costs 150 Dreadfall Delights and requires 20 minutes to be built. Another decoration of a bit of fence with a pair of Cardinals appears during the early Spring.
A songbird closely resembling a Great Tit appears on a Spring banner appearing in the game during Beltane activities.
School of Dragons[]
Songbirds do not appear in this game, but can be heard as background sounds on several islands, including Berk, Dragon's Edge, Zippleback Island, and the School of Dragons Island.
Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
Songbirds are mentioned in the description of the Night Fury Dreadfall Toothless.
| “ | The sun retreats south with the songbirds as the darkling sky fills with Aurvandil's Fire. | ” |
| — Dragons: Titan Uprising |
