Bird Sanctuary - Commission from Angrboda by BunnyBribes,

“Where do you want to go first?”
“Definitely the Africa exhibit.”
“Nah! We gotta see the spiiiiders! They got a new tarantula that-”
“Ew. No. How about the gift shop? They have the CUTEST plushies…”

I had always enjoyed the zoo. Having fond memories of it as a kid in grade school, I thought it would be the perfect outing for a big group of friends. Only a few minutes past the gate and everyone was already sorting into different groups and running off to see whatever exhibit they fancied most.

I couldn’t help but sigh, almost positive that I’m the only one who had picked up a map from the issions gate. Maybe I’d just spend the whole day in the cozy little rainforest cafe, watching the REAL animals go by.

The cafe was on a wooden platform near the sealife exhibit, protruding slightly into a big pond.
Flanked on either side by bamboo and colorful flamingos, it had an undeniable charm to it.

“Oh huh, they finished that new exhibit.” I glanced back at the map, but it hadn’t been updated since some time in the 90s. During my last visit, this whole area had become a construction site. Now, a colorfully painted wooden sign announced this new hall as the ‘newly-hatched, totally unmatched Avian Experience’.

Oh, what the heck? I was just happy to see the zoo doing well enough to put together an expansion. I pushed past a double set of mesh doors into a huge, concrete hallway whose ceiling opened up into the sky. There was a sturdy metal grid instead of a solid roof, and I could spot a few feathery figures pecking and plucking at it.

I peered into a small, wooden window with the scientific name of some exotic bird etched in the glass - ‘Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus’. Instead of stunning plumage, I was treated only to a small, plastic placard with the words ‘Coming Soon’ hanging from it’s perch. Most of the windows had similar displays, and it was then when I noticed the cavernous exhibit was stunningly quiet. I had expected a cacophony of whistling, screeching and squawks, but the whole aviary was still as a library!

Nearly to the end of the hallway, the exhibit finally began to show signs of life! Perched on a big, wooden staff was the biggest parrot I’d ever seen! It turned to regard me, scratching the side of its head with one talon. It tilted its head, eyeing me up from head to toe before giving an agitated shrug of it’s wings and turning away.

“Huh. Not a very ‘pretty birdie’, are you?” I snorted.
It turned its head back to me, and narrowed its eyes, almost like it had understood what I was saying! “Rraawwwk! Are YOU?”
I was stunned! Not only had the parrot responded, but it responded with SASS! “What?! No, I’m a human being, you birdbrain! Hu-man. Human! Ugh. This is totally embarrassing. I can’t believe I’m arguing with a dumb bird. All you can do is repeat after me….”

The bird sifted to one side, then to the other, lifting it’s wings slightly. I worried that it might be getting aggressive. Thankfully, the glint of a tiny silver cuff clasped to it’s leg reassured me that I was safe. “Raaaawk! Repeat after me. Rhhh… Pretty birdy. Pretty bird…”

“Pretty bird…”

I stood bold upright. Why had those words just come out of my mouth?! The stupid bird bobbed its head like it were laughing. “Birdbrain. Raaaawk! Repeat after me. Total birdbrain. Pretty birdy.”

It… kept saying that. Weird… why’d it keep… repeating that? The bird had kind of a nice cadence, though. I found it curiously easy to clear my mind and just listen to that pretty echo and follow along, like lyrics in a song. My lips were even starting to clack, just like that dumb birdy did when he spoke.

“All you can do is repeat. Raawk!! Total birdbrain. Dumb birdie! Raawk!”
“Rrrawk! All I do is repeat. I’m a… total birdbrain. Dumb birdie…”

I couldn’t help but lean in, totally enraptured by the parrot’s song. There was a snug, painful tension at the seat of my pants, but thankfully, that went away after a minute. Must’ve been… why were my tailfeathers all… cramped like that?

“Pretty birdie. Not a human being. Pretty birdy. Raaawk!!”
I couldn’t help but nod and squawk in agreement. What a silly idea - being a human being…

“Oh look,” came a new voice. An imperious one, somewhere behind me that I didn’t recognize. He scooped me up with a curious kind of ease. “Our new macaw finally showed up. Let’s get you on your perch, birdbrain. There’s a field trip running around, and I’m sure they’ll be glad to meet you….”

Hot damn! Guess going birb means you wind up with some serious tailfeathers to shake! X3

Art by Angrboda