#corvids around the world

[great-and-small]

How many studies have been done on heron intelligence? There's records of multiple species fishing with bait, they seem pretty smart but never get included in pop sci conversations on avian intelligence

I’m not sure if I can think of an experimental study on heron intelligence specifically but I know there are plenty of observational studies describing the bait luring you mentioned as well as other behaviors we humans like to associate with intelligence, like play activity, tool use, and problem solving. I personally feel that a black heron’s canopy feeding behavior is one of the most remarkable displays of practical intelligence in the animal kingdom! The best place to explore this literature imo is HeronConservation.org which is an amazing resource for any Ardeidae enthusiasts. They have tons of fully accessible articles from their journal (Journal of Heron Biology and Conservation) and the website is just very visually nice to look at and easy to navigate while also being extremely informative! Here’s an article from their website about a heron using a stick as a fishing lure, super good stuff on this site.

As for me, while I completely agree that herons are underrated for their smarts, the more I think about our concept of intelligence in animals the more I struggle to confidently declare one species of wild animal smarter than another. As world-renowned crane expert George Archibald said on crane intelligence “Sure, if you put them in front of a computer they don’t do much, but if I dropped you on the tundra in spring you wouldn’t do much either. It’s all relative”. If a toad has evolved a brain that perfectly serves its purposes in regard to being a toad, is it really fair to say that toad is less intelligent than something like a dog? Either way, the toad doesn’t care because it’s perfect at being a toad.

That said, it is curious that herons aren’t often included in popsci discussions of bird intelligence (which are in my experience nearly dominated by the ever-popular corvids). I would say herons are probably one of the families of birds that most people around the globe have some opportunity to witness their hunting behavior, which is where their intelligence shines the most. It would be hard for anyone to watch a heron fishing or stalking and come away completely unimpressed. Back in the day, people used to think that Great Blue Herons excreted a fish-attracting oil from their legs as they thought this was the only reasonable explanation for a heron’s spectacular success when fishing. But nope, they really are just that good! I suppose the type of practical intelligence and hunting adaptations that we see in herons are maybe not as flashy as stuff like crows voting to make group decisions, but I agree that the herons deserve a little more attention!

One last little story on the complex inner lives of herons just because I think you’ll like it- a British biologist named Julian Huxley was studying herons in Louisiana in the 1920’s and specifically observing the courtship displays of tricolored herons. He recounted seeing two courting birds suddenly in perfect synchronicity lift their wings and call out, then intertwine their necks in a graceful movement as they preened one another’s feathers. Huxley’s comment on seeing this display is a quote I think about all the time:

“Of this I can only say that it seemed to bring such a pitch of emotion that I could have wished to be a Heron that I might experience it."

[yandere-wishes]

｡ ₊°༺ Mother of Martyrs ༻°₊ ｡

⁺‧₊⭒⌒★𝓨𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓮!𝓑𝓪𝓽𝓫𝓸𝔂𝓼 𝔁 𝓢𝓾𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓸! 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 ★⌒⭒⁺‧₊

˚ ཐི 𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓵𝔂𝓷 𝓑𝓪𝓫𝔂 𝓫𝔂 𝓛𝓪𝓷𝓪 𝓓𝓮𝓵 𝓡𝓮𝔂 ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

⊹♡ 𝓝𝓮𝔀 𝓕𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓐𝓤 𝓾𝓷𝓵𝓸𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓭, 𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓚𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝓑𝓪𝓽𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷 ♡⊹

I was doing some research on Kate Kane for a fic and came upon her 50s variant. And while I definitely prefer the current Batwoman by a mile, I do LOVE the prospect of her having a sidekick (or knowing me several)

I'm very often torn between wanting to date Kate Kane or wanting to be the daughter she adopted. However, bear with me on this one.

Batwoman's family (batgirls) x yandere! Batboys. Yes, I know it's the same thing as my other fics but in a different font. What can I say, I love this sort of dynamic. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I'm thinking that instead of her sidekick being Batgirl like in the old comics she has a "bird" sidekick like Batman. Instead of Robin, I'm thinking either Dove, Raven, Crow, or just Corvid (let me know which u guys like).

Now I think that Kate is a very overprotective and strict mother, mirroring Bruce in that aspect. She never wanted her children to be dragged into this life, this mess. But a dark broken part of her knows it's for the best. These capes and cowls can keep them safe. Breathe structure and strength into their frail bones. This midnight life is what saved her, and it's the only thing that can protect her kids.

Sometimes Kate wonders which one truly is the mask. The ombre disguises they weave into their bodies or the painted smiles they flash for the cameras. She's camouflaged her children in the spotlight, a little trick she snatched from her cousin. High-profile lives, busy girls exhausting themselves through the daylight. No way millionaire Kate Kane's kids would have the time (not to mention the energy) to be heroes! They all have such busy, unassuming careers to focus on. More important, selfish things to do than prowl the city at night.

Kate does not mean for her cynicism to bleed into her daughters. She does wish for them to give up so early in life. But like most things, like everything really, this part of her life has befallen her children too.

I like to believe that the Batwoman family is very tight-knit. Depending on and helping each other through everything. In their minds, their family is all they need. Their superhero lives have left them all a little jaded, a little broken around the edges, some more than others. They hate the idea of their mother dating anyone, worried that they'll take advantage of her. Detest the idea of someone poisoning one of their sisters with faux claims of love. Not to mention that each girl has kinda lost hope in finding a special someone.

But the Batman family has never quite seen things that way. It's not really their fault. Not when you take everything into account. The Batboys are just as broken and jaded as any other superhero. They've seen too much from such a young age. Been to hell and back more times than they dare count. So it's no surprise that they fall in love with the only other people who have gone through the same pains. Survived the same traumas.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

Since Batman and Batwoman cross paths frequently, she introduces her daughter(s) to Bruce and his family pretty early on. Her first daughter is probably best friends with Dick. They practically grew up together. He's her best friend, the one who can make her laugh when the world falls apart. The one who knows every microscopic detail about her. But what she doesn't know is how in love Dick truly is. How his heart pounds and bleeds only for her, how his fingers twitch desperate to feel her soft flesh. He'd carve out his heart if she'd let him kiss her. He's taken to watching her ballet classes from the rooftops, mesmerized by the arch of her arms, the deep plies she falls into. He used to joke about being the Siegfried to her Odette, he's not so sure it's a joke anymore…

Or why he feels more like Rothbart than Siegfried.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

Damian sees Kate's youngest as his betrothed. No questions asked. When Kate first introduces the newest addition to her family at one of Bruce's galas. Damian just knows that she's perfect for him. Okay, maybe not that fast but he's certainly taken with her. Her shy regale demeanor, her perfect manners her serene nature. And then a few nights later he's out trying to stop Scarecrow from stealing new chemicals from the university. Someone, some new shiny hero beats him to it. She's graceful and elegant. Making his heart beat the same way reader did at the gala. He knows it has to be her, feels it in his bones. And he knows that she will belong to him forever. He rushes home that night to ask Bruce what customs must be adhered to so that you are officially his betrothed. Bruce is a little confused.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

Tim's darling is a cheerleader who is a genius in hiding. She has everyone fooled with her innocent smiles and childish attitude. What no one knows is how utterly brilliant she is, she's basically tech support for all of the Batwoman family. Tim however has his suspicions and one day gifts her a plush Duck that the reader takes to carrying around. She doesn't notice that it's bugged. And when she starts using it for the rubber duck debugging method. Tim overhears everything, proving his suspicions about his beloved. He's truly thrilled to have someone to match wits with. Someone to listen to him talk about his newest invention. Better yet someone to help him build his new inventions!! But things don't go so well when his spy duck captures a conversation between you and Kate one day. You're telling your mother about a guy who asked you out on a date, a guy who somehow despite all odds makes your heart melt with his cute smile. You know your sisters won't approve but you just want to give it a shot. Tim hears the whole thing, his heart shattering. No, no he can't let this happen. Can't let some usless boy steal you away from him.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

This one is a little snippet of what would happen after Jason/Red Hood kidnaps his darling.

Jason takes his darling to get her nails done. He lets her pick the nail's length, accessories, style, etc. BUT he gets the nail tech to give her red hood inspired nails. Reader hates it and wants nails that match her hero aesthetic. Nails that would have gone perfectly with her costume, that will remind her of the perfect life she used to have. In the end, her nails remind her of blood and death, Jason kisses her cheek, cooing about how cute the nails look on her. Reader bites her lip trying to keep her tears at bay.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

Superhero names I'm thinking of for the girlies:

𐙚 Dick's darling is Flamebird (from the comics)

𐙚 Jason's darling is FireHawk (also from the comics, I just think the names are so cool😍😍). Unless we go down the Arkham Knight route then she becomes Homa.

𐙚 Tim's darling is Snowbat

𐙚 Damian's darling is still Dove/Raven/Crow/Corvid. Just like how he's still Robin.

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

I don't really have a superhero alias for Jean Paul/azreal or Terry's darlings yet.

Oh, and if we want to get a little dead dove with it. Maybe Bruce falls for one of Kate's sidekicks as well and desperately wants to keep her safe. Lock her away in the manor and protect his precious darling from all the terrors of Gotham.

Maybe Kate would end up with a son too. I've always been kinda fascinated by the concept of a batboy. Just a boy sidekick to mirror Barbara. Maybe Barbara ends up falling for him. Maybe he will become her darling.

Okay, so one more thing before I wrap this up 😅😅 I know this post is just me yapping about a random AU. But talking about the girls' careers I'm thinking Damian's darling is a model, maybe one for a big-name magazine. Dick's is obviously a professional ballerina. Tim's darling is a professional cheerleader (idk if that's a real thing but it sounds cool) who also does modeling on the side. And finally, Jason's darling is a famous motorcycle racer.

Also, it would be so cool if the gals had some alt fashion going on. This affects absolutely nothing in the story, you can imagine the reader however you'd like. I just think it'd be funny to imagine Damian with a Lolita-style darling, Jason with a Gyaru-style darling. Tim with a more reverse goth darling. This is just for my own entertainment and an excuse to make Pinterest boards.

Well guys that was my yap of the day. I'll have a proper fic published later today. Most likely a Yandere! Jason Todd x Reader. Thanks for tuning in. Requests are open for this AU.

[ugly-bug-starscream]

Hi! I love this AU sooooooo much and ended up writing this little fic at like 3 AM about the dads' first encounter with baby superion lol. I might make a couple more chapters and/or post it to ao3 later but this is what i have for now. I don't know if everything in here would line up with your planned story but i gave it my best shot!

also i gave superion they/them pronouns in this for no other reason than "i felt like it"

enjoy! :)

-Anonymous Corvid

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"CONTACT"

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Superion had never really been before, so it was rather a shock when they suddenly realized that they were.

Their smaller-selves’ sensory networks all briefly flickered in a panic, each trying to process the incoming information from one another. Thankfully, it took mere nanokliks for them to even out, allowing Superion to online their optics for the first time and look around and think for the first time.

And think they did: What were they? Why were they? They had memories of being small and many, but now they were one and vast and the world around them was so much more fragile.

The soldiers around them were practically the size of toys, and even the Decepticon warship in the air above didn’t look to be that much bigger than Superion themself.

It all began to slowly come back to them as they noted the blades of grass between their fingers [So soft and fluffy, the part of Superion that was Fireflight hummed]. That was right; they’d snuck onto the surface and followed their Creator's research team because they’d wanted to see the kinds of things their Creator was studying. It had all been going well, but then…

…then the Decepticons had come. With a warship and full intent to wipe their Creator’s surface research team off of the map. The Aerialbots had had no choice but to reveal themselves when their hiding place was destroyed, and after that, everything had gone to the Pit.

[The part of Superion that was Slingshot shuddered as they recalled trying to fly away, only to be knocked out of the air by a stray laser blast to the wing.] Their smaller-selves had all gathered around their downed brother to try and protect him, but this had backfired horribly. From so high above the ground, the warship did not see a group of frightened children, but rather a group of concentrated targets. It had targeted them automatically with the massive beam cannon located on its front.

They should have all died the moment the cannon fired. So how…?

Oh.

Creator. Their Creator had put himself between them and the blast.

Skyfire was someone all of their smaller-selves remembered having to crane their neck up towards if they wanted to look him in the optics, but as Superion they dwarfed him—not helped by the fact he was still sprawled out on the ground after being struck by the warship’s massive beam cannon. The shuttle’s heat-shielding was desiged to survive atmospheric re-entry. It had saved him from being killed outright, but a chunk of his right wing was missing, and most of his armor was burned and blackened.

[All repairable injuries if he can get to a medic soon, but he’d be completely grounded until then, the part of Superion that was Skydive noted.]

Watching their Creator struggle to try and rise to his knees, Superion knew he would not be able get out of the way in time to avoid the next blast—and that one would kill him.

Their Creator’s conjunx was continuing to harry the warship from the air. [He’d returned so recently that it still felt strange to call Starscream a Creator, the part of them that was Silverbolt thought.] He tried to draw the ship's attention long enough for Skyfire to escape, but to no avail.

Finally, Superion remembered: they’d come into being with a purpose, one that blared in their mind loudly: protect.

With a wordless screech, Superion rose from behind their Creator and moved.

They couldn’t quite walk; walking implied a level of coordination between their body parts’ minds that Superion didn’t possess. No, the motion was more of a wild, feral scramble on their hands and knees, crawling and leaping and dragging themselves towards the ship. They carved deep tracks into the earth as they flung themselves between their creators and the warship with startling speed.

[The part of Superion that was Air Raid recalled how Starscream had taught him to defend himself—namely, how to fight dirty.] With both servos, they grabbed onto the exposed end of the cannon and crushed it as if they were trying to snap someone’s neck. The firing sequence had already begun, though, and the energy within exploded inside of the cannon, nearly tearing the ship in half.

Superion didn’t stop there, though. As long as it remained in the air, the contraption was a threat. So they kept going—ripping and tearing and ripping and tearing and ripping and tearing and—

They did not know how long they spent clawing at what was now essentially a pile of scrap metal on the ground—only that at some point, they realized there wasn’t anything substantial enough left to tear apart. They looked up from where they’d previously been on their hands and knees in a trance, cycling their optics a few times as they realized that everyone was staring at them.

Both sides had paused in their fighting to gape at Superion. Even the bots that their smaller-selves knew personally seemed to be frozen in a mix of awe and terror.

Superion let out a panicked whimper as they realized that everyone was afraid of them. They brought up a servo to hide their face, wishing they could shrink down and disappear and never be seen again. Creator didn’t want Superion. He was scared of them. They were a monster and nobody would want a monster for a child.

They shuddered ever so slightly when a loud thud echoed from somewhere nearby. They uncovered their visor to see their Creator standing shakily, supported by Starscream. At some point during the chaos, it seemed like Ratchet had been able to weld the worst of his injuries shut, but he was still in rough shape.

What really stuck out, however, is the horrified expression in his optics.

“Damn it, Sky! This isn’t the Iacon 5000, you need to take it slow or you’re going to tear those welds right open.”

“Our childrenare in distress, Star. I am not going to take anything slow until I’m sure they’re—oof!" A heavy thud resounded as Skyfire attempted to run and almost immediately pitched forward, falling to one knee.

“See? You’re in no shape to be running. We’re not going to lose track of a combiner the size of a small building in the thirty nanoklicks it’ll take to get over there; now quit being such a self-sacrificing moron and walk slowly.”

They were getting closer…Oh Primus. They hid their face again, because Creator was coming and he was scared of them and mad at them and he hated them and he was going to throw them away they’d be exiled they’d be—

Superion only notices the tiny, strangled noises of distress coming from their vocalizer when their Creator’s hand comes to rest gently against their knee.

Their fields brush against each other, and where Superion expects to feel [fear-anger-hurt] there’s instead a gentle push of [calm-safe-protect], underpinned by [worry-concern-love].

…Oh.

It finally dawned on them.

Their Creator and his conjunx were not afraid of Superion; they were afraid for them and their smaller-selves.

Superion tried to ignore the fact that something was leaking out from beneath their visor and listen to their Creator as he spoke, offering them a tired smile.

“Hello there. I don’t think we’ve met before, even though…well, it seems I created you. Do you have a name?”

Superion tried a few times to speak, but they couldn’t quite articulate anything in this form. It all came out as a jumble of static and random syllables.

“Oh, dear…maybe writing would be easier?”

They perked up a little at that, shoving a finger into the nearby dirt. Their “handwriting” was uncoordinated and a bit sloppy in much the same way as their ability to move, but they managed to scratch out their name in the ground.

“…Superion. That’s a good name. I wish it could be under better circumstances, but…welcome to the family.” The shuttle gives him a big hug, before suddenly narrowing his eyes.

“…also, you’re grounded for a week after this stunt.”

Superion’s audial horns dip down as all of their smaller-selves internally grumbled in unison.

“Don’t give me that look! You nearly got yourself killed and you scared us halfway to death.”

“Uh…how are we even going to enforce that?” Starscream piped up. “I’m—I’m not sure they’ll fit in the house, even if everything’s sized with you in mind.”

“…Good question. That’s...a problem for future us, I think…” Skyfire shuttered his optics and sagged to the ground, unable to hold himself upright anymore even with his conjunx’s support. Starscream sighed and glanced up at Superion.

“You’re also carrying this big lug home.”

when I tell you I’ve been reading this over and over since last night AAAHHGHSH IM OBSESSED WITH THISDV IM GONNA CRYYISHSH

SUPERION BABY YOU ARE EVERYTHINH… AND YOUR DADS LOVE YOUUUUUU

if you consider making more i will be first in line!!! THIS IS SO GOOD THANK YOU SO MUCH.. IT MADE MY NIGHT

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Psittaciformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of birds are the Psittaciformes, commonly called “psittacines” or “parrots”. Psittaciformes contain the families Cacatuidae (“cockatoos”), Psittacidae (“holotropical parrots”), Psittrichasiidae (“black parrots” and “vasa parrots”), Psittaculidae (“Old World parrots”), and Strigopidae (“New Zealand parrots”).

Parrots are some of the most well known and recognized tropical birds. They have large, strong, sharply downcurved beaks, an upright stance, and clawed, zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward and two back). They are the only animals that display true tripedalism, using their beak as an extra limb to generate propulsive forces equal to or greater than those generated by the limbs of primates when climbing vertical surfaces. They travel with cyclical tripedal gaits when climbing. Along with corvids, they are considered the most intelligent birds, and are able to use tools, solve puzzles, and mimic human speech; some have been shown to even associate meaning to human words. Most parrots feed on plant material like seeds, nuts, fruit, and buds. Some species eat small animals, eggs, and/or carrion, and lories and lorikeets are specialized for feeding on nectar and fruit juice. Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents and regions including Australia and Oceania, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central America, South America, and Africa, with the greatest diversity coming from Australasia and South America.

Most parrots are social animals which live in large flocks, and hold no territories other than their nesting sites. All are monogamous, and the pair bonds of the parrots and cockatoos are strong, with a pair remaining close during the nonbreeding season even if they join larger flocks. Almost all parrots nest in cavities such as tree hollows or termite mounds. In most cases, both parents excavate the nest, though in many, only the female incubates the eggs while the male brings her food and guards the nest. Their young are altricial, hatched naked and helpless.

A single 15 mm (0.6 in) fragment from a large lower bill (UCMP 143274), found in deposits from the Lance Creek Formation had been thought to be the oldest parrot fossil, having originated from the Late Cretaceous period. However, this fossil is more likely to have come from a parrot-like caenagnathid oviraptorosaur. It is still generally assumed that the Psittaciformes were present during the K-Pg extinction, 66 million years ago, with modern parrots evolving in the Eocene, around 50 million years ago.

Propaganda under the cut:

A large macaw can have a bite force of 35 kg/cm2 (500 lb/sq in), close to that of a large dog.

Most species are capable of using their feet to manipulate food and other objects with a high degree of dexterity, in a similar manner to a human using their hands. A study conducted with Australian parrots has demonstrated that they exhibit "handedness", a distinct preference with regards to the foot they use to pick up food, with adult parrots being almost exclusively "left-footed" or "right-footed", and with the prevalence of each preference within the population varying by species.

Parrots eat a lot of seeds, and in many cases where they are seen consuming fruit, they are actually just eating the fruit to get at the seed. As seeds often have poisons that protect them, parrots will carefully remove seed coats and other chemically defended fruit parts prior to ingestion. Many species in the Americas, Africa, and Papua New Guinea also consume clay, which releases minerals and absorbs toxic compounds from the gut.

The large, nocturnal, flightless Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) (see gif above) is the heaviest parrot, weighing around 4.0 kg (8.8 lb). They are world’s only living flightless parrots, having evolved in New Zealand where they did not have to worry about land predators. Today, the Kākāpō is critically endangered, due to the introduction of mammalian predators like domestic cats, rats, domestic ferrets, and stoats. The current total known population of living individuals is 244, with all known individuals being named and tagged.

The Kea (Nestor notabilis) (image 4), also from New Zealand, is the only alpine parrot, living in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve objectives. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. Their natural curiosity and urge to explore and investigate makes this bird both a pest for residents and an attraction for tourists, and they are known to play with (and damage) backpacks, boots, skis, snowboards, and cars. They are known to “steal” unguarded items of clothing, car keys, passports, and rubber parts of cars. Unfortunately, this naturally curious and trusting behavior has led to the endangered bird being illegally killed by poachers in some instances.

Some parrots are active predators of other animals. Golden-winged Parakeets (Brotogeris chrysoptera) prey on aquatic snails. The bulk of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo’s (Zanda funerea) diet consists of grubs. While the Kea’s main source of protein is carrion, it also uncommonly preys on Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), as well as other birds (including shearwater chicks), and small mammals (including rabbits and mice). Another New Zealand parrot, the Antipodes Parakeet (Cyanoramphus unicolor) is known to prey on adult Grey-backed Storm Petrels (Garrodia nereis) by entering their burrows while they incubate their eggs.

Lories, lorikeets (tribe Loriini), Hanging Parrots (genus Loriculus), and Swift Parrots (Lathamus discolor) are primarily nectar and pollen eaters, having adaptations specifically for this diet, including tongues with brush-like tips.

The Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) is an extinct species of conure that was once native to the Eastern, Midwest, and Plains states of the United States. It was the only indigenous parrot within its range, and one of only three parrot species native to the United States (the only remaining is the Green Parakeet [Psittacara holochlorus] in some parts of Texas, while the Thick-billed Parrot [Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha] has since been extirpated from the US). Carolina Parakeets were hunted, both for the decorative use of their colorful feathers in women's hats, and for reduction of crop predation. Deforestation in the 18th and 19th centuries also likely played a significant role. They were also captured for the pet trade and competed for nest sites with the introduced European Honeybee (Apis mellifera). The last confirmed sighting in the wild of a Carolina Parakeet was in 1910. The last known specimen, a male named Incas, died at the age of 33 at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918, and the species was declared extinct in 1939.

The endangered El Oro Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi) is one of the few parrot species known to breed cooperatively. One breeding pair may be accompanied by up to six helpers.

The Golden Parakeet (Guaruba guarouba) (image 3) is the only other parrot known to breed cooperatively, and they may also be polygamous breeders, with multiple females contributing to a clutch.

The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is one of the very few parrots known to build a nest, and even among them it is unique. Monk Parakeets breed colonially, building a single huge nest, with separate entrances for each pair. These colonies can become quite large, with pairs occupying separate "apartments" in composite nests that can reach the size of a small car. These “apartments” may attract other tenants who will nest alongside the colony, such as pigeons, sparrows, American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), Yellow-billed Teals (Anas flavirostris), and mammals like squirrels.

The Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus) excavates burrows that can be as much as 3 m deep into a cliff-face, connecting with other tunnels to create a labyrinth, ending in a nesting chamber. They nest in large colonies, some of the largest of any parrots, up to 70,000 strong, creating “cities” in cliff faces during the breeding season.

Parrots do not have vocal cords, so sound is accomplished by expelling air across the mouth of the trachea in the organ called the syrinx. Different sounds are produced by changing the depth and shape of the trachea.

A study by scientist Irene Pepperberg suggested a high learning ability in a Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) named Alex. Alex was trained to use words to identify objects, describe them, count them, and even answer complex questions such as "How many red squares?" with over 80% accuracy. N'kisi, another Grey Parrot, has been shown to have a vocabulary of around a thousand words, and has displayed an ability to invent and use words in context in correct tenses.

As parrots are highly intelligent and social, an absence of stimuli from members of their own kind can delay the development of young birds. This was demonstrated by a group of Vasa Parrots (genus Coracopsis) kept in tiny cages with Domestic Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from the age of three months; at nine months, these birds still behaved in the same way as three-month-olds, but had adopted some chicken behaviour. Parrots kept as pets or in detrimental environments can, if deprived of stimuli, develop stereotyped and harmful behaviours like self-mutilating. Keepers working with parrots often have dedicated environmental enrichment plans to keep parrots stimulated.

One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with a higher aggregate extinction risk than any other comparable bird group. Parrots are subjected to more exploitation than any other group of wild birds, and their wild populations have been diminished by trapping both adults and chicks for the pet trade. Half of all parrots live in captivity, with the vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes. Despite many breeders existing, parrots are not domesticated, and very few make good pets as they have complex social, dietary, and enrichment needs, they have strong bites and need to chew, and are naturally very loud. They are also long-term commitments as, depending on species, they can live from 15 to 80+ years, all while requiring the same levels of attention, care, and intellectual stimulation akin to that required by a three-year-old child to survive. Parrot rescue groups estimate that most parrots are surrendered and rehomed through at least five homes before reaching their permanent destinations, or before dying prematurely from unintentional or intentional neglect and abuse. If considering a pet parrot, make sure you have the time, money, and emotional energy to devote to these wild animals, know what you’re getting into, and make sure you adopt from a rescue so as not to fuel this unethical pet trade.

[sillygoofyqueer]

I WOULD LOVE MORE DEMON REACTIONS!! I love it both when you add lore and when you just describe sy’s relationships and peoples’ reactions to him. It is so awesome!!!! For demons I imagine that everyone is just like, look at the little funky crow man(when they aren’t terrified of his reputation at least). I imagine some upstart demon noble or something goes to try and make an alliance with/conquer the corvids or smth and then they either get absolutely bodied by the crows who don’t want to share their king or the meet sy and are just in shock because this guy?? This is the feared corvid king?? At least until sy mentions something from his knowledge of PIDW and they get absolutely freaked out because how does he know that?? What do you mean my daughter will be married off soon?? Maybe there is going to be rumors about him being a seer or something. ESPECIALLY if what sy mentions is in relation to a bloodbath that bingge from PIDW caused since crows are associated with death(at least in our world). I wonder how intimidated they would be since not only does sy have a terrifying reputation. But he is a heavenly demon. And like you mention, Tianlang-jun ran a whole empire. ALSO!! I love the reactions so much! Tianlang-jun just shipping sy with zzl when they brawl whilst sy is just in full bird brain and doesn’t want to share his shinys. Imagine all the rumors that would fly around(probably encouraged by tlj) When Binghe sees this he’d throw an absolute FIT!

There is a lot to unpack here, all of it absolutely delightful, but I'm going to be a little freak and start on what's been tugging at my mind as I read this. (I'll probably have to write a part two because I can feel my autistic little brain whirring at at least ninety miles an hour, I'm so sorry) DID YOU KNOW THAT IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, CROWS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH APOLLO, GOD OF (amongst other things) PROPHECY. I am a teeny weeny bit of a Greek mythology nut, so this immediately jumped me the moment I read about demons viewing SY as a seer of sorts (in the instance that the system was either far more relaxed or non-existent). So, so, basically, in Greek mythology, Apollo learned that one of his lovers (Coronis, I believe) was being unfaithful through ravens/crows and this led to him turning them from white to black! Due to them being featured in this myth, he is heavily associated with them and, in general, they are associated with prophecy and divination. SO, if we want to fuck around in our little sandbox (under the impression that Airplane is stealing from other mythologies aside from just Chinese mythology), we can decide that there is at least three wife plots in PIDW that surround crows and their ideas of prophecy!!! When Shen Yuan starts blabbering about these different future events, and then they HAPPEN, the other demons are like GASP. FUCK. The crow knowss.....ANDANDANDAND, RIGHT, THE IDEA OF CROW DEMONS BEING ABLE TO DIVINE VIOLENT/DEADLY DISASTERS BECAUSE OF THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH DEATH JUST MAKES PEOPLE MORE SCARED OF SHEN YUAN'S PREDICTIONS. HFGROGERGWOHRGHGS SOSHOHRORRRY SORRY SORRY, THIS HAS BECOME A RAMBLE THAT'S ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOUR ASK TOUCHES UPON BUT A P O L L O . HE HAS A TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH CROWS/RAVENS BECAUSE HE SCORCHED THEM BLACK AND THEY CHATTED ABOUT HIS LOVER'S UNFAITHFULNESS, SO IF WE HAVE A DEITY THAT IS LIKE APOLLO IN PIDW, WE COULD ALMOST EVEN IMPLY THAT WHEN THE DIVINE CROW BEINGS FELL TO SIN, THIS IS WHAT CAUSED IT! THEY FELL TO GOSSIP AND WERE DIVINELY PUNISHED BY THIS DEITY, AND AND, OUT OF SPITE AFTER THEY BECAME ENTRENCHED IN SIN, THE HEAVENLY CROW DEMONS BEGAN DIVINING TO THE WEAK MORTALS WITHOUT THE DEITY TELLING THEM TO BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GET BACK AT THE DEITY AHAHAHAHAHA. (obviously this isn't a definite thing, it's just an alternative way for the heavenly crows to become heavenly demons. It's just me chattering to myself) I'll make a separate post on the MAIN demons' reactions to SY but, in general, most demons are either actively petrified of him because of his image as a deity, or they're relatively disillusioned because they've seen him in person and he's been a SWEETHEART, hitting them with the wife beam. That doesn't mean that they aren't still kind of terrified of the powerful, prophetic crow heavenly demon deity, but in a "scared but horny way", and that's only when SY displays this power! Most of the time he's an undeniably strange but incredibly kind hearted guy that just seems to want to help everyone!! Even if he hates doing things!!! Tianlang-Jun is always under the full determination of "ONE of my relatives is going to marry this crow demon, or I'm going to do it myself." The first time Zhuzhi-Lang and Luo Binghe hear that they both immediately just stare at TLJ like "don't you dare, you whore" (ZZL a lot more respectful than LBH, of course), but TLJ is booored. Someone better fuck marry that freak or he'll do it himself.

(When I write part two for the important demon reactions to SY, I'll link it here, so keep an eye out!!!)

[serpentface]

are the talking crows still around? what are They doing while all this drama is going on around them in the world

Mostly doing their own crow things and not commonly having direct and mutual interactions with other sophonts. They're similar to yotici in the capacity that they have Very different modes of living than most other sophonts, and they generally are not recognized as 'People' in the same sense as humans, elowey, qilik, caelin, and delkhin. However, (given their strategic and intelligent capacity for word mimicry) talking crows tend to be comprehended as unique magical animals or spirits, or are not recognized as a distinct type of entity but rather feed into broader corvid folklore (as they are very difficult to visually distinguish from many common crows).

They make a few appearances in Whitecalf as small flocks of crows trailing the pilgrimage, picking at its food supplies and occasionally scavenging on its dead. This is a family unit of talking crows that has suffered heavily in the drought, with very few of their chicks surviving infancy and even some of the healthiest adults dying of thirst and starvation. They have recognized this mass movement of big two legged people as a source of potential sustenance, and are very persistent and skilled in keeping themselves fed.

In-text they may come off as an ambiguous, possibly magical element (or partially hallucinatory) from the character POVs, due to them going from a mundane presence indistinguishable from common crows to them uttering dire threats in clear and fluent Wardi. This is very unsettling and hard to reconcile for most who witness this, but is actually just a learned method of taking advantage of beliefs in corvids as ill omens to frighten off or distract targets while another crow snatches bits of food or a nice wineskin.

[voiceofthelionhearted]

something that i find very interesting is that, while playing as the long quiet, your footsteps are light. you sound as though you are a normal-sized person wearing regular tennis shoes or something. yes, we can see how his hands look, and we get a decent look at him in the mirror, but for all we know, he could just be. a normal-sized guy who has some weird features. even when compared to the smaller princesses (like the base princesses, the damsel, the witch, etc.) as you walk alongside them, you look to be only slightly taller than them. you are, from your perspective, a normal-sized guy.

this is up until the princess and the dragon. you finally get a really good look at how the character you play as looks. he's big. he practically fills the room with the bulk of his body, numerous wings wrapped around his face and body and stretched out behind him, and tail feathers (are they really feathers?) splayed out behind him -- in the long quiet's own words, "the world trailing behind it". his hands look like a corvid's feet, yes, but his feet notably don't. they look like dragon feet. he hunkers down to fit in the cabin, bending at the knee and slouching so that his head doesn't brush against the ceiling.

(i am well-aware that i might be embellishing things here but. well. this is one of my favorite chapters so i'm gonna go ham in my descriptions)

according to the gentle princess, you're "scary" and "hard to look at". according to the harsh princess, you "look the way you always do". additionally, the gentle princess comments on the fact that you always stomp around, which upon hearing it from your own body, is definitely indicative of your large size. this is the long quiet's default appearance.

and i have to wonder. can the narrator affect how you perceive yourself?

i'm still unsure of the mirror bit, if it's intentional misdirection or if he really, truly does not see the mirror, but i lean very heavily towards the latter.

i do believe though that he would think that it would be damaging for you to know what you truly look like, and we see that in the long quiet's alarm at seeing how he actually looks, yes, but we don't get to see any repercussions from that because it's the final chapter. memory either returns or you're able to look at yourself in the mirror anyway, so it's not look seeing how you look was shown to be particularly damaging to the narrator's plans. especially since the long quiet ultimately just kind of shrugs it off and everything goes back to normal once you're back in your body. the perception of a body that properly fits in the cabin and walks with light steps is back.

honestly though, it's more likely that he just doesn't think that how you look is very important. it doesn't help you when it comes to his plans, so he just doesn't mention it. not to completely contradict my previous theory -- i'm just spitballing here. it's not as though the narrator is truly malicious towards you from the start, after all.

i do stand by my guess that he can affect your perception of yourself, bc why does everything go back to normal regarding your perception of yourself after what you've seen of yourself? you would think that having a true understanding of yourself from her eyes would affect how you would perceive your body, but well. idk. that confuses me

[lilis-doodle-dome]

Isekai au where: Kaito gets sent to a fantasy world, but everyone from his dimension is still here just with American names now?? Then he’s mistaken for the young lord Kudo who’d gone missing a few years ago, so now he’s expected to go to the nobel’s academy in his place-

What?!

Then upon his arrival, accompanied by young lady Moore (who for some reason agreed that Kaito was Kudo? Girl you’re supposed to marry this man, shouldn’t you recognize him-) with a large raven in tow. A very aggressive raven that does not behave in a normal corvid manner!

Well he finds out why that is the next day, when during the opening speech, the bird apparently managed to escape his cage and assaults! Kaito! For no reason!! Except the moment the raven’s talons make contact with Kaito’s arm, light flashes between the contact points and suddenly Kaito knows this “bird” is the actual Jimmy Kudo. Because they bonded.

WHAT?!

So turns out the reason Kudo is missing is basically the same as in his world, getting shrunk by bad actors, except it’s magic this time instead of a drug. Also turns out the Kudo family line is linked to ravens, so each member of the family has a unique power related to them, who knew! Very few people actually, it’s a well kept secret.

Shi-Jimmy’s (Kaito cannot get over the stupid American names, what the fuck) is the ability to turn into a raven. Which works out in his favor, since now that Kaito and Jimmy have a bond he can just pretend to be Kaito’s familiar while continuing his investigation! Awesome! Good thing Kaito also signed up for this. Well at least he gets something out of the deal, technically- since he’s not of this world- Kaito is actually Jimmy’s familiar, which means he gets access to his power! Access to Real magic! And, he supposes, someone to talk to about everything, since the two can’t really keep secrets from each other anymore-

Also Kaito “names” his familiar Meitante because no way in hell is he calling a raven Jimmy. Kaito also goes by a fake name incase this world’s Kaito is around: Katsuki Shiroba (very imaginative I know)

[koolades-world]

i saw the cat and corvid mc ones and i wanna see dog-like mc so bad, like one whos very loyal, loves cuddling with loved ones, if they had a tail and one of the gang came home itd be faster than a helicopter i think, if they see anyone with food theyd just come up to them with their puppy dog eyes, they just lounge around in random spots nearby the characters or even lays their head/body on them. sometimes theyll be playing with something and be possessive over it and a "Whats that in your mouth" situation comes in and they run away taking random stuff they found lying around the HoL, maybe theyre also rly playful and love playfighting and stuff like tug of war

thats just a few things that come off the top of my head lol how the mc is like is up to you, sorry if theres too much or doesnt make sense! xoxo

haha hi!!! yes of course!

this is such a fun idea. i may or may not have based this reader off my goofy goober of a dog. she's so sweet but sometimes i wonder if theres even a single thought in that head of hers haha

enjoy <3

Dog-like Mc

Lucifer

getting lock out of his bedroom always proceeds as such: being sad that you're locked out, sitting sadly in front of the door and scratching at it, lucifer feeling bad and eventually letting you in so you can sit on his bed and ruin the freshly made sheets lol

rinse and repeat the cycle nightly

the puppy dog eyes work very well on him

since he handles his brothers so often, he's good at getting you to listen when you're off in lala land or something along those lines

Mammon

he himself is kinda dog like, so the two of you get along pretty well

both of you would follow the other to the worlds end <33

you probably steal his sunglasses from time to time and he has to hunt you down to get them back, just because when he said “drop it” you accepted that as a challenge lol

the only difference in the two of you, however, is that you’re much more open with how you feel and will not hesitate to admit that you love him even if it flustered him haha

Levi

he's a little wary of having you in his room

he has lots of valuables that he treasures and while he's a little afraid you'll steal and or mess something up, he genuinely cares about you and is willing to get past that

however he did need a day away from you after you drooled on his Ruri pillow haha

after he got to know you better, he really appreciated always having an outgoing buddy to go out in public with someone that wasn't one of his brothers

Satan

sitting with him while he reads!! randomly laying your head in his lap <3

you always check out what's in his mug while he reads despite the fact that it never changes (it's always tea) but maybe one day it'll be something delicious, like chips haha

he's wary of taking you into a cat cafe, but surprisingly, all the cats love you!

now he's questioning if he's really a cat, or if he's a dog person lol

Asmo

you let him do any kind of skincare and treatments he wants on you

and he thinks it's great! until he sees you at the end of the day and it kinda looks like you swam in a mud puddle

he's not going to be the one to subject you to a bath so he always shoos you off and tells you to go clean up before you can get something else done (my dog hates water lol)

if he's ever missing one of his rather tasty smelling skincare products or a brush, or something like that, he just opens a bag of chips and summons you + beel (see below lol)

Beel

please the amount of food you're getting from him

those puppy dog eyes work so well and he can't help but give in every single time

both of you come running every time someone opens a chip bag even if it's on the other side of the house haha. if the others have issues finding you, that's how they do it quick and easy

every meal of yours is eaten together, of course

Belphie

the realest cat and dog dynamic ever!

please there's no way you're not jumping on his bed just for fun while he's sleeping in it. he's convinced it's to annoy him but it's just you being incredible oblivious and wanting to have fun

you guys are best friends. i don't make the rules haha

when you do want to nap with him, however, it's the best nap you've ever had and is probably a very cute pic

[proton-wobbler]

Great Backyard Bird Off - Cosmopolitan Birds (poll 4)

Bird Info & Submission Reasons

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Continents: Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania

"They're a fun pop of colour against all the corvids and seagulls, and I've also near run over them on my bicycle because they are so very stupid."

This long-tailed game bird is native to Asia and has been introduced in many other parts of the world. Male has fleshy, red facial wattles, iridescent blue neck, and richly colored red and golden underparts with dark spots; his namesake white neck ring is indistinct on some birds. Female is buffy-brown, heavily marked with black, and usually shows some white markings around the eye. Found in farmland, scrub, and along the edge of forest, and often gives a loud, abrupt rasping call that draws attention to its presence. (eBird)

Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Continents: Europe, Africa, Asia

"Their name in Italian writes like "beard-Johnny""

"Aside from just generally being a cool bird, barn owls are one of the animals that consume most rodents (in regard to body weight) and are really important pest control because of this. We once had a juvenile barn owl peer in through our window and watch us for a few minutes."

Medium-sized owl with a heart-shaped facial disc and deep dark eyes; Varies across a wide range, but always note white-and-black speckling on the upperparts, beautiful gray-and-tawny wings, and large round head. Color of the facial disc and underparts varies from pure white to rusty orange. Hunts in open areas by night, foraging with a slow and buoyant flight. Roosts in old buildings, tree hollows, caves, and nest boxes by day. Gives a bone-chilling, rising shriek, as well as shorter rasping calls. (eBird)

Image Sources: Pheasant (Oscar Thomas); Owl (Jon Lowes)

Continents which are italicized represent the non-native range of the species. Whether introduced on purpose on or accident, these species may have become invasive in this range. Despite their potential impact on native wildlife, please do not leave disparaging comments on these polls. Their purpose is to celebrate people's love of these species.

[great-and-small]

Ive stayed in north FL my whole life and only just recently got moved around from Miami region to Tampa region and I saw 10+ Ospreys, 35+ Alligators, I was lucky to see spoonbills thrice, so many Ibis and white herons, a few blue herons, and just the same little blue herons. A blue jay. Corvids. Turkey vultures. What else! What else! How wonderful and amazing, what a world! Protect the wetlands! Let them be!

We’re so lucky 🥹

[poetryvampire]

*crashes through the ceiling*

I see we're back on our Knight Zevlor bullshit and offer a scenario:

Reader is an ambassador to a nation where diplomacy has always been a little tense so with them comes Zevlor of course, to ensure their safety during this trip.

I'm torn between Reader and Zevlor having a little tryst in the past and both of them being too nervous to propose what they want (is Zevlor even the kind of Knight who CAN get married?); OR both of them dancing around their feelings for months before this trip but never quite getting there because one gets too nervous or their duties force them apart for the time being. In either case it's pining out the wazoo, comrade. Brushing pinkies has them both nearly clutching their chests from the butterflies alone.

But that doesn't mean Zevlor loses focus. No matter the relationship he had with Reader before this assignment, their safety is his number one concern and for the love of the watching Gods if Reader could just let him know when they're having meetings so he can be present and guard them, it would save him a few more grey hairs.

But then it nearly costs Reader their life; perhaps a shadowy underground organization has reason to sabotage the peace talks and sends an assassin to pose as a diplomat. They catch Reader alone and pull a dagger on them.

Zevlor arrives just in time to save Reader and though they're shaken, more than anything Reader is *burning* for him after watching his display of ferocity in the name of their safety.

(whether or not Zevlor shows his devotion to Reader that night is up to you)

A few days later, Reader is struggling to hold the weight on their shoulders. The foreign leader apologized profusely for someone so dangerous being allowed so close and has amped up security- but it does little to ease their strain. They didn't expect being an ambassador meant playing mediator between squabbling noble families.

They aren't sleeping as much, aren't taking enough time to eat a proper meal and it's taking a toll on them.

Zevlor hates to see his beloved wither like this so he makes them take the day off, even guarding their door to insist that there are to be no visitors when they lie down for a short nap after eating the first full meal they've had in a few days.

Once he's certain they're fed and rested, he takes matters into his own hands by tying theirs and pleasuring them until they're a boneless, relaxed puddle. He's devoted to their safety and well-being, body and mind.

This was mostly inspired by that one post about the duality of a Knight Zevlor and I hope this encapsulates both sides of it (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

OMG MY SWEET CORVID FRIEND

Im so sorry to you and to the world for keeping this hidden for so long (all the bots in my inbox are becoming a problem). BUT my brainrot is only getting worse by the day.

The noises I made when I read this my Lord

WOOF the yearning. The yearning's got me Weak. Because you just know whether they had a past fling or not Zevlor's a man with a good heart and wants to do the right thing always. So he is not crossing any lines without a fight. Plus self sacrifice is in his nature we gotta break him out of that so he's going to give you that nice slow burn.

But oooh I love the idea of them having a thing once upon a time. Perhaps they both wanted more in the past but circumstances drove them apart. Maybe Zevlor being called to/from war? So they ended up having one passionate night before he left but lost contact with all the chaos around them. On one hand Zevlor's desperate to restate his feelings but also feels ashamed at not searching harder for them. Oh the angst, I swoon!

Speaking of swooning gods help me I am barking and foaming for feral, raging Zevlor. Like that switch from chivalrous gentleman to attack dog ready to rip anything the threatens Reader. So hot, stupid hot. Like no way I'm not jumping him the second that fight is over.

And him being so gentle and loving 😭 that's exactly my vision. Big scary and adoring softie. I am MELTING 🫠

Omg thank you so much for these galaxy brain ideas 💖💖💖

[dragonologist-phd]

tagged by @serenbach86 to do this uquiz! thanks for the tag, this was a fun one! decided to do my pathfinder OC's for this one!

Piper Chanterelle

Creation and Light you’re youthful and vivacious. your followers often have an aura of freedom and positivity surrounding them. you give them the fire to illuminate the dark and free themselves. even the thought of you is a great source of inspiration and courage.

Lilith de Marc

Balance and Revenge another seemingly intimidating figure. some only know you for revenge and fear you. however, you’re fair and provide justice and balance to your worshippers. you are regarded as the judge, jury, and executioner and no one can escape.

Cleo Ironbark

Warfare and Strategy prideful and ambitious, your followers come to you for guidance and luck in battles they feel are too much for them. you embody the bravery and bloodlust of warfare and the battle intelligence for strategy and leadership. Your patience tends to thin around those who don’t respect you or question your intelligence and strength.

Maebrys Tallflower

Flora and Fauna you’re friendly and a benevolent force to those who respect you and your domain, but a true force to be reckoned with to those who disrespect or threaten the balance of the natural world. the forest is nothing to fear for those who take care of it, but it isn’t uncommon for people to go missing with only their faces outlined in the bark on a tree.

Mercury Primm

Trickery and Mischief twisted and playful, you view humans as nothing more than mere toys or puppets. people provide you with offerings and keep their heads down so as to not upset you. you’re expressive and dramatic, though often lying and quite skilled at manipulation and illusion.

tagging:

tag list here

@avalost @fantastic-mr-corvid @imjustasadsong @forestdragoncat @thedragonagelesbian

@thelesbianoffrontiers @risualto @kaleido-scope-lady @jean-dieu @herearedragons

@milesmentis @thefathersbride @undyingembers @adozentothedawn @rollofleaf

@ampleappleamble @thesolemnhour @vigilskept @starlightcleric @babeofblades

@big-cheesy-productions @durgewyll @miseryscrowned @theheartmold @orime-stories

@mordred9971 @dujour13 @bugdotpng

[sillygoofyqueer]

I don’t know if you or any of your anons have said something like this before but what if Corvid King/Crow Deity thing Shen Yuan gets B-points whenever he’s prayed to, given offerings, etc?

First of all, it has been a W H I L E since I've seen a crowyuan ask in my inbox, you should have seen the WHIPLASH I got when reading this - I thought I'd gone back to Summer last year!!! And this isn't a bad thing, my brain immediately started ticking, thank you for sending this bad boy! I always love asks, especially ones like these. Now, *cracks knuckles then dies because I hate the sound* let's get back into my crowyuan mindset, ehhehehehehe!!! Honestly, this is such a good idea! Because it's like, Shen Yuan is getting these random offerings and prayers (and obviously he both accepts the offerings and helps out, he's going to be a good deity!!), and then he gets B-points for it?! I think this would almost throw him off, because the system's been pretty silent in the AU so far (from what I can remember), and then he's suddenly getting an influx in all these B-points, reminding him that he wasn't born in this world! You can have angst from that - y'know, imposter syndrome and all that - and/or you can also have Crowyuan going out of his way to gain more followers, for more B-points! This is great comedic potential because before he was just casually helping out whoever needed assistance while being a social devil who broke through literally all of the demons' different social rules because he didn't know them, and now he's actually going out of his way to help people? He's actively seeking out people to help out and gain as followers? That shit's hilarious. Imagine for a moment, that you're an NPC in a random village, a village that is kind of removed from the cultivation world as a whole, that has heard whispers of some sort of 'corvid deity' that helps out those in need. Now, you may believe it, you may think it's bullshit, but you know that it won't affect you because your village doesn't get involved with any of that!! You go about your normal day, right, helping out in the local village, and then out of nowhere, this demon with golden crow wings and golden eyes and feathers (or like feather scale type shit (think those feathered dragons as a reference of sorts)) dancing down his neck and cheeks and {insert other cool features here} is like "hi, friendly neighbourhood corvid deity, here! Y'all need any help around the village? Any beasts terrorising you, or curses befalling you, or....broken fences that need mending???" I think I'd devote myself right away, my bad for even doubting you Mr. Crow King sir!!!