Christmas Weewoo: A Scientific Study

     Cuddling Behaviour

     Weewoo are social Petpets, often foraging in flocks (except the mutant Weewoo; for more information about this sub-species, please consult this summary by the same author.) Most are solitary roosters and are found with individuals of their immediate brood during the nesting season. In contrast, Christmas Weewoos are often found in large cuddling groups, affectionately called a “Big Woo” by avid Petpet watchers. There have been records of upwards to thirty Weewoo cuddling together to help conserve body heat! The red, fluffy cape-like parts of their bodies are some of the softest, warmest parts of their bodies along with their big red crests, sometimes called their “Santa hats.” When cold, Christmas Weewoo will fluff up their feathers to reduce overall surface area and better contain heat. When many are together, it can be hard to tell one Weewoo from another, with only their beady eyes helping to differentiate the sea of yellow from red.

     Absolute Floof

     This sub-species has naturally thicker feathers than its more southerly counterparts. Because of their thick fluff, these Weewoos are the heaviest sub-species, often weighing a full 10% more than the second highest, the Royal Weewoo (this sub-species is heavier because they wear adornments that they collect throughout their lives). Due to this weight, they tend to fly lower to the ground and for shorter distances to conserve energy. They are also what is known as a sit-and-wait predator, often staying in one place and waiting for food to come by before taking off from their perch and giving chase. Beyond their fluffy bodies, they also have feathered legs that are well adapted to handle the cold. This functions as built-in legwarmers and protects them from the dangers of frostbite.

      Song Variation and Social Singing

     This species is well known for its haunting “weeeeeewooooo” song. So much, in fact, it has become one of the selling points of Krawk Island shore vacations: “come hear the waves lap upon the shores as Weewoo welcome you home.” But unlike their ‘haunting’ counterparts, Christmas Weewoo are known to sing far more variable, joyful songs. These whistled tunes tend to vary by individual, and in a study compiled by Dr. Quinn Corvus, it was determined that Weewoo from the same clutch have songs that resemble their parents’ voices more than the voices of their neighbours.

     Mimicry has been noted in this sub-species. Sometimes, flocks of Christmas Weewoos will follow carolers and harmonise to their songs. These call these flocks “choirs” and can number up to a dozen individuals! As tonal quality varies within different individuals, these choirs can produce beautiful, melodious tunes that have been the inspiration of many a holiday song. Two of the most popular tunes in Terror Mountain are “Sing We Now of Weewoos” and “We Wish You a Merry Weewoo.” If the native flocks aren’t adding to the joy, it’s almost a sure bet that a caroling crew will have at least one or two Weewoos to help carry the tune.

     Nesting range vs. wintering range

     Christmas Weewoos are known to survive in harsh climates and will nest north of most other sub-species (with the Snow Weewoo sharing much of the same niche). They enjoy the Tundra, with its short growing season and spectacular spring flower displays. They only have one nesting attempt; those that fail often return south from the tundra earlier than those that raise a successful brood. They often raise 2-3 nestlings. Unlike many other sub-species that equally split nesting duties, the female does most of the incubation (female Christmas Weewoos, as Mutant Weewoos, tend to be larger). Male Christmas Weewoos, on the other hand, tend to do most of the hunting, focusing on small, Petpetpet prey.

     Wintering range varies, with many remaining in the valleys of Terror Mountain and other similarly sized mountain regions. Some wander far south of their nesting grounds, to the delight of Petpet enjoyers who are known to travel great distances to see one in the wild. Food availability has an impact on their tendency to wander south, with lower food availability being a good predictor of what is known as an “irruption” year. One year had Christmas Weewoos flying as far south as Mystery Island, much to the delight of the locals.

     ”Merriment Behaviours”

     Given the social tendencies of this sub-species, it should be noted that they participate in “gift-giving” behaviour. They enjoy finding berries, twigs, holly leaves, and other such natural treasures and offer them to everyone and everything around. In return for their gifts, they request a gentle scratch under the beak (be careful, some might use this as an excuse to take a little nibble!), a sing-along, or an offering in return. A favoured return gift is a sunflower seed—Weewoos that receive these tend to return to the same Neopian over and over. One flustered Neopian, a charitable Acara named Granny Hopbobbin, had so many Weewoo landing on her that she went through 10lbs of seed every day for a month!

     Christmas Weewoo prefer brightly decorated houses and will often land on their roofs and sing merry tunes. The brighter, more heavily decorated these houses are, the more attention they tend to receive. This has become a huge tourist attraction in Terror Mountain, with over-the-top decorated hotels and lodges bringing in Weewoos from all around the area. Some locals have complained that these displays might be changing the Weewoo’s behavioural patterns over time, especially with their ever-flowing Petpet feeders encouraging visitors to stay throughout the year.

     Conclusions

     The Weewoo is a beloved and cherished symbol of the Neopian Times and of all creatives in Neopia. The Christmas Weewoo takes a special place among the Petpet’s sub-species, specializing in a sort of cheerful playfulness that make the holiday season bright. They are often called the “warmest, most jolly” of the Weewoos, with some Terror Mountain newspaper distribution facilities specialising in having only Christmas Weewoo delivery Petpets.

     Future research will investigate the Christmas Weewoos of Terror Mountain vs. those of other mountain regions of Neopia. We are partnering with Brightvale University scholars who have created magical tracking devices to determine how and when these Weewoos migrate. This will be done in conjunction with a long-term banding study done in the Terror Mountain Valley.

     Wishing all of you a happy, creative, and curiosity-filled winter season. May your holidays be warm, bright, and full of all the joys that science can bring!