#. ah i loved answering this. thank a bunchhh

[khasmc]

[ Can we please have some Silas + birds HCs? ]

Silas and birds, for the most part, have a facultative symbiosis relationship where they live independent of one another and have no physical attachments.

His power of vulture-whispering culminated in his early teens following the death of his sister. Ever since, he can summon Old World vultures at will, where they arrive in kettles in any number between 5-20 at a time

The vultures will often arrive from the balcony if he’s home, and spend hours on the railing waiting/looking for food. They usually come and go as they please, suggesting a commensalism type of relationship. It doesn’t help or harm him in any way, as he’s used to their company since childhood.

His gray cockatiel, Ra, is a beloved companion who spends most of his time preening and being preened in return when Silas has time. Silas loves Ra more than anything and has recently thought of purchasing a second cockatiel to keep Ra company.

Unlike Silas, Ra becomes enthusiastically excited when the vultures visit, often chirping up a storm in wanting to be let from his cage to join his feathered brethren.

Silas names the vultures who visit most, and he usually tells them apart from their various hisses and gurgles.

He doesn’t command or control them, but they respect him and he does so in kind. On occasions when he’s out and discovers carrion on the road or the woods, not yet claimed, he may send out a message to inform them.

Some vultures will visit unprompted and without a summons, though this is rare. Only the ones he’s built a longer rapport for would show up this way, but there are always at least 2 who show up without fail. He’s named these two Crocus, a Griffon vulture, and Rhodi, a White-backed vulture after the Crocus speciosus and Rhodiola rosea plants, respectively.

Some other birds of prey, such as falcons or owls, keep a distance from the kettle when they’re around, but he’s yet to witness any skirmishes among them. They usually keep to their own and Silas doesn’t judge.

In the event a vulture is injured, he brings them to the veterinary hospital where they usually are able to assist the raptor into recovery.

He’s a big fan of canaries, cockatiels, and budgies.

Regarding wild bird species, he has a very soft spot for those in the Corvidae family as they remind him of Elias, especially magpies and the Common Raven. He also has a preference for songbirds, like Hermit Thrushes, Common Nightingales, March Warbler, or Mockingbirds.

In general, Silas enjoys listening to bird vocalizations, whether they’re songs or calls, and prides himself on being able to picking out the subtle nuances in their sound no matter the time of day. He can’t communicate with them in the same way, but he’s gradually come to learn to understand them in all the times he’s listened.