View source for Small bird

{{about|the recurring ambient white birds that originate in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''|other uses|[[Bird]]}}
{{species infobox
|image=[[File:Little Bird SMO render.png|200px]]<br>Render from ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' ([[List of games by date#2011|2011]])
|latest_appearance=''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' (2023)
|variants=[[Penguin]]{{hover|*|Super Mario Odyssey only}}<br>[[Seagull]]{{hover|*|Super Mario Odyssey only}}<br>[[UFO|Small UFO]]
|relatives=[[Bird (traveling)]]<br>[[Butterfly]]<br>[[Small animal]]
|comparable=[[Bird (Super Mario Sunshine)|Bird (''Super Mario Sunshine'')]]<br>[[Bird (Super Mario World)|Bird (''Super Mario World'')]]
}}
'''Small birds''', also referred to as '''little birds'''<ref>{{cite|author=[[Nintendo|Nintendo UK]]|title=The Cat Mario Show - Episode 11|date=9 Jul. 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_NpLQaDnUg&feature=youtu.be&t=142|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=23 Jul. 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=@SuperMario_UK|title=Here's a flock of little birds wearing top hats, spotted in the Cap Kingdom. They'll scarper if there's any ruckus. #SuperMarioOdyssey|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/SuperMario_UK/status/940521634435424256#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=12 Dec. 2017}}</ref> or '''little birdies''',<ref>{{cite|author=@SuperMario_UK|title=Have you spotted these little birdies in Tostarena yet? You can find them in the town itself, or in the desert oasis. #SuperMarioOdyssey|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/SuperMario_UK/status/927566275403972610#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=6 Nov. 2017}}</ref> are various families of birds sharing similar behavior, the most notable of which are the white birds with distinctive crests that live in the Mushroom Kingdom and are recurring ambient species in the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise ever since their debut in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''. Occasionally, they even serve a gameplay purpose. Their appearance seems to be based on {{wp|tit (bird)|Paridae}}, a family of tits, chickadees, and other with similar body shapes, with some species such as the crested tit sporting crests, though the colors of their feathers and beaks coincide more with those of the albino {{wp|house sparrow}}. They are similar in behavior to other birds throughout the series, such as the [[Bird (Super Mario Sunshine)|Birds]] in ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', as well as the blue birds outside [[Peach's Castle]] in ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario 3D Land''====
[[File:SM3DL Art2.png|thumb|left|Little birds appearing next to [[Toad]] on the left area of the official group art for ''Super Mario 3D Land''.]]
Little birds make their first appearance in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', serving as ambient creatures and usually appearing in flocks. When [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]] approaches them, they fly away. Very few of them drop [[1-Up Mushroom]]s upon doing so.

====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====
Two little birds appear on the roof of [[Peach's Castle]] in the opening cutscene for ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. They fly away as the camera pans down to [[Princess Peach]], Mario, and Luigi.

====''Super Mario 3D World'' / ''Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury''====
In ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', little  birds can be found in various levels. In this game, they can occasionally appear on the title screen, where they fly away when the main cast of characters run through it. Cat-eared [[seagull]]s appear in the ''[[Bowser's Fury]]'' campaign of the [[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury|Nintendo Switch port]] that serve the same role.

====''Super Mario Odyssey''====
[[File:SMO Bonneton Little Birds.jpg|thumb|Hat-wearing small birds released from a [[crate]] in Bonneton.]]
In ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', the little birds of the previous games can be found in the [[Mushroom Kingdom (Super Mario Odyssey)|Mushroom Kingdom]]. Other variants recognized as small birds<ref>{{cite|author=Sakai, Kazuya, kikai, Rachel Roberts, and Jenny Blenk, editors|date=2019|title=''[[The Art of Super Mario Odyssey]]''|format=First English Edition|location=Milwaukie|publisher=[[Dark Horse Books]]|page=69 142, 249}}</ref><ref name=cascade>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=滝の国「ダイナフォー」に生息する小鳥。都市の国に生息する鳥とは異なり、カラフルなのが特徴です。ZZZ…|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/915331880702042112#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=3 Oct. 2017}}</ref><ref name=sand>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=砂の国「アッチーニャ」に生息する黄緑色の小鳥です。街中や砂漠のオアシスに暮らしています。群れで集まっている所には、何か秘密が…？|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/921128828466016257#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=18 Oct. 2017}}</ref><ref name=cap>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=おはようございます！ こちらは帽子の国「カブロン」に生息する、シルクハットをかぶった小鳥。木箱を壊すとびっくりして飛び出してくることもあるんです。|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/932364875719892992#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=19 Nov. 2017}}</ref><ref name=lake>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=湖の国「ドレッシーバレー」に生息するピンク色の小鳥です。
キラキラとしたラメの入った羽と、ビーズのような目が特徴のおしゃれさん。とてもきれい好きなんです。|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/943960040779612162#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=21 Dec. 2017}}</ref><ref name=wooded>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=森の国「スチームガーデン」に生息する青い小鳥です。ガーデナ人とも仲良しなんです。珍しい機械を見かけると集まってくるかも！？|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/980926849516691458#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=2 Apr. 2018}}</ref><ref name=luncheon>{{cite|author=@mario_odysseyJP|title=料理の国「ボルボーノ」に生息するまんまるの小鳥です。体が白いのは、塩で身を包んでいるからなんです。|archive=https://nitter.poast.org/mario_odysseyJP/status/989619880809959427#m|archiver=Nitter|publisher=Twitter|date=26 Apr. 2018}}</ref> appear in other kingdoms that resemble real world species and wholly original ones. For example, the small birds in the [[Cascade Kingdom]] resemble {{wp|scarlet macaw}}s, and the ones in the [[Wooded Kingdom]] resemble {{wp|blue jay}}s. If Mario falls asleep in an area where small birds can be found, one may rest on his nose, though in areas such as the Wooded Kingdom, many birds can be found near Mario when he is sleeping.

Though superficially similar, the hat-wearing small birds from the [[Cap Kingdom]] are a physically distinct animal from the little birds of the Mushroom Kingdom. Doves, pigeons, [[penguin]]s, [[seagull]]s, and [[UFO|small UFO]]s occur in some kingdoms that serve the same function as small birds.

===''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games''===
In ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'', little birds appear during the first portion of [[Mario's Figure Skating Spectacular]], which is based on ''Super Mario 3D Land''. As always, they fly away when the skaters come near.

===''Mario Kart 8'' / ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''===
[[File:MK8 Little Birds.jpg|thumb|Little birds standing on the track (on the right) and flying away from [[Larry]] in [[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart 8)|Mario Circuit]].]]
When racers approach little birds, they fly away, though after a set period of time without any racers, they return to the track. These birds are removed in the split-screen modes of the game. Otherwise, they occur on the following courses in ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'':

{{columns|
*[[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart 8)|Mario Circuit]]
*{{classic link|Wii|Moo Moo Meadows}}
*{{classic link|GBA|Mario Circuit}}
*{{classic link|SNES|Donut Plains 3}}
*{{classic link|N64|Royal Raceway}}
*{{classic link|3DS|Piranha Plant Slide}}
*{{classic link|GCN|Yoshi Circuit}}
*[[Dragon Driftway]]
*[[Hyrule Circuit]]
*[[Dragon Palace]]
*{{classic link|3DS|Wuhu Town}}
*{{classic link|SNES|Battle Course 1}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Paris Promenade}}
*{{classic link|3DS|Toad Circuit}}
*{{classic link|Wii|Coconut Mall}}
*{{classic link|GBA|Sky Garden}}
*{{classic link|SNES|Mario Circuit 3}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Sydney Sprint}}
*{{classic link|Tour|London Loop}}
*{{classic link|3DS|Rock Rock Mountain}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Berlin Byways}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Amsterdam Drift}}
*{{classic link|GBA|Riverside Park}}
*[[Yoshi's Island (race course)|Yoshi's Island]]
*{{classic link|Tour|Bangkok Rush}}
*{{classic link|DS|Mario Circuit}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Athens Dash}}
*{{classic link|GCN|Daisy Cruiser}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Los Angeles Laps}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Rome Avanti}}
*{{classic link|Tour|Madrid Drive}}
}}

The small birds in {{classic link|Tour|Tokyo Blur}} and {{classic link|Wii|Maple Treeway}} resemble {{wp|Eurasian tree sparrow}}s, like the ones in [[Bowser's Kingdom]] from ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''.

===''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''===
[[File:Bonus Episode.png|thumb|Captain Toad and some little birds in [[Super Bell Hill]].]]
Players can interact with the little birds in ''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''. Normally, they fly away when [[Captain Toad]] or [[Toadette]] approaches them, but if they stand by a small bird long enough, the little bird flies and lands on their heads, which is detailed in Episode 11 of the European ''[[The Cat Mario Show]]''.

===''Mario Sports Superstars''===
[[File:MSS Bird.png|thumb|left|A little bird in ''Mario Sports Superstars''.]]
Little birds are one of the objects encountered in the grass in the stable mode of ''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]'' sport, Horse Racing. When players pass into them, they fly away and reveal a ? crate, which reveals a Mario Token. When players obtain 20 Mario Tokens, they unlock the Mario Token Crown, a special [[List of horse accessories in Mario Sports Superstars|horse accessory]] for the head.
{{br}}

===''Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle''===
[[File:MRKB-crow.jpg|thumb|A black small bird resting on a hay stack in ''Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle''.]]
In ''[[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle]]'', white and black little birds can be found in the [[Ancient Gardens]] and [[Spooky Trails]], respectively. They behave like they do in the ''Super Mario'' series, in which they fly away when the party members are near them, only to return soon after the party members leave the area.

===''Super Mario Party''===
In ''[[Super Mario Party]]'', small birds fly across the screen during [[Social Climbers]].

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''===
Small birds appear in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' as wildlife in the [[Mushroom Kingdom]].<ref>Matyas (November 30, 2022). [https://youtu.be/ZjHjBXcNnDM The Super Mario Bros. Movie - NEW Footage]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved December 3, 2022.</ref>

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
Bird (Super Mario 3D Land).png|''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''
NL 2nd Anniversary Horizontal.jpg|Second anniversary of Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s [[LINE]] account
NSMBUDX-HandheldMode.png|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=小鳥
|JpnR=Kotori
|JpnM=Small bird
|JpnC=<ref>{{cite|author=Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors|date=2015|title=『[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック]]』|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|location=Tokyo|language=Japanese|page=185}}</ref><ref name=cascade/><ref name=sand/><ref name=cap/><ref name=lake/><ref name=wooded/><ref name=luncheon/><ref>{{cite|author=Sakai, Kazuya, and kikai, editors|date=2018|title=『[[The Art of Super Mario Odyssey|スーバーマリオ オデッセイ 公式設定資料集]]』|language=ja|location=Tokyo|publisher=ambit|isbn=978-4-19-864696-7|page=69, 249}}</ref>
|ChiS=小鸟
|ChiSR=Xiǎoniǎo
|ChiSM=Small bird
|ChiT=小鳥
|ChiTR=Xiǎoniǎo
|ChiTM=Small bird
|Fre=Petit oiseau
|FreM=Small bird
|Ger=Vöglein
|GerM=Little bird
|Ita=Uccellino
|ItaM=A baby bird, chick, or fledgling
|Spa=Pequeña ave
|SpaM=Small bird
}}

==References==
<references/>

{{SM3DL}}
{{M&SATSOWG}}
{{SM3DW}}
{{CTTT}}
{{MK8}}
{{Mario Sports Superstars}}
{{M+RKB}}
{{SMO}}
{{MTA}}
{{Mario Kart World}}
[[Category:Birds]]
[[Category:Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games species]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 8 species]]
[[Category:Mario Kart World species]]
[[Category:Mario Sports Superstars]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D Land objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D World objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D World species]]
[[Category:Super Mario Odyssey objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Odyssey species]]
[[Category:The Super Mario Bros. Movie characters]]
[[it:Uccellino]]