Departure Bird

1987

"It came every night for a month: a small, black bird that emanated evil. From 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., I’d see it on the windowsill. Sometimes it would ‘tap tap tap’ on the glass; other times I would hear it try to open the window or find other ways in. At first, I’d watch it with a flashlight, but its beady eyes were too unsettling. I thought about letting it in once, just to see what it wanted. I tried ignoring it; I even took sleeping pills before bed, hoping to get through its noise. No matter what, I’d wake up exactly when it showed up. Everyone thought it was kind of funny, but they didn’t understand—the thing had a heavy presence and looked in with such hate. Then fall came and I never saw it again."

- Anonymous

DEADLY LULLABIES

It is often said that seeing a bird in the house is a sign of approaching death1, and this is true if the animal in question is a Departure Bird. The Hateful Northern House Wren is a completely black bird with a flat head, raised, short tail, and long, curved beak; it has an extremely long, flexible, strong, forked tongue that can break through skin, muscle, and frail bone. Typically, Departure Birds are small creatures, growing no larger than 4.5 in. long and 0.35 oz. During the spring and summer, they can be found in open woodlands, forested regions, and exposed areas with plenty of grasses shaded by trees.

A Witch’s Curse: Origins of the Hateful House Wrens

Death omens, the color black, and polymorphing have long been associated with witches; the Departure Bird is one creature said to originate from such beings long ago. With the evil antics of Wicks, several average nests full of House Wren eggs were transformed into something dark and horrendous: death birds. With much dancing, singing, and waving of sticks, the Wicks cast a spell, hatching the spellbound youths, aging them quickly, and sending them after their greatest enemies. With a desire for cerebral meat, the aves soared in different directions to carry out their commands. Once satiated, the birds regrouped and paired off; bonded together, they took territory and raised young, but followed their grotesque instincts once each summer on nights brightened by a crescent moon. In autumn, they migrated south to escape cold weather.

Since their spawn, the birds are said to have bred together, exponentially increasing their population; some of these creatures are said to still be controlled by regional Wicks. Before, Wicks may have targeted non-human enemies, though recently they are more likely to be used to dispose of nearby or bothersome humanoid individuals.

A large number of Departure Birds are similar in appearance and behavior to House Wrens. However, it is believed that they have also interbred with other avian species, as well as taken separate evolutionary paths. Some of these other Departure Birds may be larger, have longer claws and toes, fluffier bodies, thick, straightened tails, feathery head crests, yellow, human-like eyes, and/or a hooked beak. These variants still feed on the Summer Sickle Moon, but may also feed year-round on the brains of animals, or humans in times of desperation; additionally, they may not migrate for the winter and have deeper, louder calls. These birds range in size from that of a raven to a robin and act more like crows than House Wrens.

Daily Life and Development

Small Departure Birds spend their days hopping from shrubs and tree branches to eat insects. Males make several nests within small cavities (like forgotten boots or boxes, natural gaps in rock or earth, and old woodpecker holes) in hopes of alluring a female. The birds prefer to nest in more open areas with large amounts of vegetation—allowing for ample feeding and resource gathering, but clear enough to see oncoming predators. The nest itself is made of piled twigs shaped into a bowl and intertwined with animal hair, grass, feathers, string, plastic, snakeskin, and other plant material; the entrance is tight, often barricaded with more material, which wards off cold air and predators. Males are aggressive when looking for locations to nest within. They have been known to attack larger birds for their spots, as well as dragging others’ eggs and hatchlings out of the nest to make room for themselves. Spider egg sacs are relocated to the nest site to protect their young from pests, such as mites.

Each year, the Departure Bird lays 3 - 6 eggs that are black, purple, or gray speckled with purple; the eggs are incubated for 2 - 3 weeks by the mother before hatching. Males bring back food for females for the duration of incubation. Departure Birds hatch as pink, naked creatures that are mostly immobile, sightless, and covered in only a few wisps of feathers on the back and head; these hatchlings stay in the nest for about 3 weeks. After growing into juveniles and developing their feathers, they learn to fly and leave the nest. Couples may raise up to two broods per year. After each nesting season (spring to mid-summer), pairs separate, choosing new mates the next year. On some occasions, males will invade another male’s nest, even after eggs have been laid, to contest for the female; these short, but violent encounters end with the new male displacing the old one 60% of the time. After taking over the nest, the male will kick his rival’s eggs out of the nest.

Hateful House Wrens eat a wide variety of small creatures: flies, daddy long-legs, snails, caterpillars, beetles, worms, and other small insects.2 In mid-fall, they migrate south for the winter. Larger kinds have a more varied diet and list of daily activities. At most, any Departure Bird may live up to 10 years.

A Song of the Sickle Moon—Summer Feeding Ritual

Each year (usually right before the end of summer) Departure Birds feed upon human brains on a night lightened by a crescent moon. The animals begin by seeking out an entrance to a home or an individual sleeping outside; most often, they enter a bedroom through an open window. Once within earshot, they sing a haunting, trilling melody, which puts listeners into a deep, paralyzing sleep. Hopping to the victim’s side, the bird unfurls its long, pronged tongue and inserts it into the eye. With ease, the sharp tongue delves through the socket, following the optic nerve into the brain. Though the tongue’s exterior is hardened, the interior is hollow; the prongs expand, revealing two openings—one on each fork. The main portion of the tongue also billows out, allowing for matter to travel down into the stomach. Using specialized muscles that line the tongue, brain is forcefully sucked into the tubes as suction is created within the bird. The Departure Bird will engorge itself before retracting its tongue. The bird will then rest for some time, allowing its meal to settle and digest. However, if an escape is needed, it will vomit up enough to lighten its weight, quickly flying back from where it came from.

If the birds do not participate in their yearly feeding, they become sickly, perishing during the winter.