Of Feathers and Quills: A Review of Weewoo Behavior

Weewoos are fascinating creatures, and the subject of rigorous scientific study. Currently, their ability as mail delivery Petpets is being compared to that of the Crokabek; this will serve as a springboard for my future research. You may have seen a recent article by Dr. Quinn Corvis—my undergraduate advisor and author of The Crokabek: Scientific Highlights //www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=569705&week=718. Now we turn to the Weewoo, Pluma sapientes, and take a detailed look at their biology, behavior, and language capabilities.

Natural History:

The oldest specimen on record was a Weewoo that lived for 10.5 years. It was ID tagged early in life at the Paradise Valley Nature Center in what is now considered southern Faerieland. This specimen was found nearly a decade later in northeastern Meridell, more than 500 miles from its original nesting site. Future Weewoo migration research spawned from such discoveries and range from migratory patterns to “migratory restlessness” or a desire to transplant. Krawk Island and Terror Mountain Snow Weewoo populations are year-round residents (non-migratory) while Meridell Weewoos tend to migrate towards the equator during the winter. Despite this, both year-round resident and migratory Weewoos share something in common: nesting location.

Weewoos are considered “obligate cavity nesters.” They require hollowed out chambers to place their nests; other Petpet species must hollow out these spaces before Weewoos will opt to use them. With increased Neopian development pressures and the frequent removal of dying trees, many natural cavities have been lost. Without places to build their nests, wild Weewoo populations have plummeted in some areas of the globe. Scientists such as myself and my adviser have built and installed nest boxes (artificial cavities) to combat these loses; populations of wild Weewoos have exploded in areas with nest boxes during the last decade.

Despite their need for cavity spaces, most Weewoo sub-species are crepuscular (active during morning and evening) and hunt Petpetpets in open areas, sometimes old farm fields. Rarely, Weewoos have been found with grubs in their bill. It is currently unknown how they obtain such prey. They also eat berries and seeds when insect resources grow scarce.

The largest and best studied habitat for Weewoos is Krawk Island, but they are found worldwide. Prior to their institution as a Neopian Times mascot, the wild Weewoo was threatened with extinction due to the Petpet trade, predation, and habitat loss. Illegal Petpet trading has been monitored by the PPL, and several Petpet catchers have been apprehended in the last five years. After continued management efforts, populations are currently stable and rising in some regions of the globe, especially Krawk Island.

Life in the Nest:

Weewoos lay between three and six eggs per nesting attempt. If weather conditions are favorable, Weewoos lay up to two clutches during the summer months. Like other small avian Petpets, juvenile Weewoo survival between one and twelve months of life is low. Weewoos that manage to survive their first winter (location depending) typically live between 4-6 years. All hatchlings are born with their eyes shut, featherless, and completely dependent on their parents for food and protection. Avian Petpets with such attributes are referred to as “altricial” species.

Division of labor is evident in this species. Typically, the father selects a safe and secure nesting site and the mother obtains nesting material. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and defending the nest site against predators. Nest sites are characterized by a “territory” or an area of land in which the Weewoo pair actively protects. Nest defense is done through mobbing behavior or a group assault against the predator by neighboring Weewoos. Such behavior is common in communally nesting species, and occurs more frequently in warmer climates than the arctic north where resources are scarce and predators are few. Predator attack strategies are a topic of current research interest in northern populations.

Like many avian Petpets, Weewoos have a preferred nesting material. “Common” Weewoos (brown body, white face) prefer to use sticks and twigs for their nesting material while Darigan Weewoos use thorny vines. The White Weewoo is a special case; it typically uses feathers (and sometimes old newspaper clippings) to cushion its nests. Additionally, many Weewoos will add small bunches of Spyder eggs to their nests. Once the Spyders hatch, they consume abundant Petpetpet parasites that can plague hatchling Weewoos. Some Weewoo enthusiasts leave out piles of easily accessible nesting material in hopes of attracting a pair to their nest box.

Despite their communal behaviors, “Common” Weewoos can be quite territorial and have habitually stuffed neighboring empty nest boxes with sticks to block entry from nearby rivals. This phenomenon is called a “dummy nest.” Despite their calm demeanor, these fierce parents are known to “dive bomb” researchers who inspect nest boxes by sailing literally centimeters from their heads. They utter warning vocalizations described by some scientists as “Squee-woo” calls. Such warning calls act as alert messages to local Weewoo community members, many of which will begin scolding calls upon the researcher’s arrival.

The Weewoo “Language” :

All Weewoos make a haunting “Weeee-wooooo” call and are most active at dusk. Some Weewoo sub-species vary their song by adding chips, twitters, and whistles. Darigan Weewoos have a gruffer, raspier vocalization while the Faerie Weewoo’s call is airier and softer. Current research from Dr. Reiqua Roo suggests that different sub-species may vary in their vocal anatomy. Additionally, vocalization volume can vary dramatically. Softer, thinner calls are typically made between family members and louder, bolder songs are vocalized when setting up and defending territory. Juveniles are unable to sing the full song upon hatching and use simple “woo” calls for the first week of life.

The tonal quality of this song, however, appears to be learned during a critical period and is copied primarily from the mother bird. From day 10-14, Weewoos begin to utter familiar vocalizations. Weewoos transplanted to another nest after day 14 will not mimic the sounds of the new mother bird. When a Weewoo was placed in a Crokabek nest on day 10, it maintained a crude mimicry of that call atop a “sub-song” or the song with which it was born. It did not perfectly mimic the Crokabek call, however, leading to a conclusion that Weewoo song learning capabilities are somewhat limited.

One of the most fascinating behaviors seen in this species is their ability to convey a language. Mind you, only the White Weewoo sub-species is known to write and draw. White Weewoos use their feet to grasp quills and write while balanced on their tail feathers. This sub-species is known to draw what Neopiologists have dubbed as “pictographs.” Quill-wielding White Weewoo can convey messages based on a series of crudely drawn pictures. One of the most famous pictographs looks like a Meepit wearing a top hat and a monocle. Scholars are still debating whether such features are coincidental or not. Most pictographs are of Petpet houses, food, and comical representations of Neopian life.

Weewoos as Work Petpets:

A recent study by Dr. Luca DeVale found that Weewoo brains have enlarged hippocampal regions. This area of the brain is used for memory retention. Given their advanced communication skills, excellent memory seems to fit together with their astounding intelligence. Such memory has been put to the test; Weewoos have been Neopian letter carriers since Y4. After Meridell was discovered the same year, the Crokabek (Corvum corvus) was also put to work as a letter carrier. A recent study by Dr. Quinn Corvis found that Weewoos delivered letters at twice the speed of their Crokabek counterparts. I will be exploring this discovery in a future study to determine path efficiency in their travels as well as path length and letter removal speed.

Beyond their work in the Neopian Times industry, Weewoos have a history of being mining companion Petpets. Known loosely as “indicator species,” miners would keep a Weewoo perched atop their helmets and would monitor the conditions of the air based on the energy of the Petpet. Once the Weewoo began to show lethargy or had breathing troubles, it indicated poor conditions in the mine. Given the mortality risks associated with this kind of work, PPL advocates have actively lobbied for the cessation of these practices.

Conclusions and Future Research Goals:

Compared to the “Common” and White Weewoo sub-species, shockingly little is known about the Weewoos inhabiting Darigan Citadel, Shenkuu, Faerieland, Terror Mountain, and Maraqua. The basic biology of Weewoos inhabiting these lands and how they compare to the “Common” Weewoos of Krawk Island is a topic area of current research.

Bill shape, size, and feeding habits are emerging as a topic of interest in Weewoos. Krawk Island Weewoos appear to show variant bill lengths and widths depending on what island they are inhabiting. Small, uninhabited islands exist a few miles away from the big island. These islands have shown remarkable variation in plant, Petpet, and Petpetpet life. Preliminary data suggests that Weewoos with thicker bills subsist on islands with large-seeded plants while thinner-billed Weewoos live on islands with small-seeded plants. Time will tell if these trends are significant.

It is my honest hope that I have caught the interest and attention of my reader. With technological advances and passionate researchers, it is only a matter of time before our next big discovery is found. I can’t wait to be a part of that process!

Melody Harvester, Bachelor of Biology 2013

Former member of the Quinn Corvis Petpet Behavior Lab