The Petpet Aviary

Birds.

Bird petpets are great. There are many different species, tons of exciting plumage colors, and many options in every price range. I've highlighted a few standout species and gone in depth on some underdogs to provide you with a veritable smorgasbord (smorgasbird) of petpets to choose from, along with estimated prices (at the time of this writing), general popularity (in case you want to be some sort of petpet hipster), and information on paint brush color options.

BEEKADOODLE

Price: Low (1000 NP)

Popularity: Medium

Beekadoodles are simple but striking birds. They are also extremely inexpensive, making them a fine choice for newer Neopians or first-time bird owners.

If the Beekadoodle's standard blue feathers don't impress you, there are a huge variety of paint brush colors to choose from--orange, red, and pink provide particularly striking plumage.

DARBLAT

Price: High (375,000 NP)

Popularity: Medium

The Darblat's popularity in Neopia has been heavily influenced by being the star of its own game: Dar-BLAT!!! As such, the price is high but had been steadily decreasing since its release. The Darblat is considered by some to be an alternative to the Weewoo--they have very similar body structures, minus their beaks (the Darblat has a flat bill) and comb (the Darblat's is far more impressive).

The Darblat doesn't have many color options to choose from, but the black Darblat is slightly snazzier than the standard navy. Water, as always, looks fantastic.

GOBBLER

Price: Low (1,500 NP)

Popularity: Medium

A staple of the Month of Storing, the Gobbler is a colorful petpet that is an excellent choice for your neopet's first bird. It is also unique in that it was given out as an Advent Calendar prize, and yet it still remains affordable.

With fifteen different paint brush options, the Gobbler can be customized to match just about any pet. The royal Gobbler boasts an impressive crown, and the plushie Gobbler gets points for being both inexpensive to obtain and its ability to match plushie and split pets.

HORUS

Price: Low (3,000 NP)

Popularity: Medium

In need of a cute hoot? This Lost Desert petpet is right up your alley. The Horus is one of the oldest avian species of petpet available--a timeless classic. The Horus is a fantastic match for desert neopets or those looking for a bit of bird wisdom.

In addition to coming in the standard array of basic colors, the Horus also has a Christmas color, which inexplicably makes it smaller. In case you wanted a really small hoot or something.

NALEAP

Price: Fairly Low (7000 NP)

Popularity: High

The Naleap is one of the newer avian petpets, and although its popularity is very high, its price is very affordable. Hailing from Shenkuu, the Naleap has an impressive tri-colored plumage consisting of red, blue, and dashes of yellow.

Even though the Naleap is fairly new (by Neopian standards), it still has a good pool of colors to choose from. A faerie Naleap looks like a different creature entirely, and the runes on the maractite Naleap's wings are particularly impressive.

PAWKEET

Price: Medium (40,000 NP)

Popularity: High

This rotund petpet debuted in 2001, with Deckball as its claim to fame. Its enduring popularity shows in its price, which may be out of the spending range of some newer Neopians. Regardless, this is still an excellent choice of avian petpet for those that are fans of games, pirates, or both.

The Pawkeet has a large pool of standard colors to choose from--blue, brown, pink, red (although it looks more like orange). If you're looking for something a bit more unique, the grey Pawkeet is basically an orb of pure despair, and the plushie Pawkeet is endearing in its ridiculousness.

PIRAKEET

Price: Medium (24,000 NP)

Popularity: Low

The Pirakeet is a bit overshadowed by its fellow avian pirate petpets (Pawkeet, Weewoo), but don't let that stop you from adopting one. Just look at it. Look at those eyes. This is a petpet that knows what's up. This is a petpet that will keep your secrets.

There are no paint brush colors available for the Pirakeet, but really, why would you want to change perfection?

SKREE

Price: Low (5,000 NP)

Popularity: Medium

A Tyrannian petpet with exceptionally vibrant plumage, Skree are popular among those who a.) don't want to spend a lot of money and b.) don't want to buy a petpet paintbrush. Not that that's a bad thing, though--the Skree stands well enough on its own.

If you are inclined to spruce up your Skree, there's only a single option available: water.

VULLARD

Price: Extremely high (1,000,000 NP+)

Popularity: Low

This petpet is not only extremely pricy, but extremely rare to boot. The Vullard is an excellent choice for collectors of rarities or those looking for a moodier sort of petpet. Vullards have a different sort of appeal, even if they aren't what is conventionally thought of as 'cute.'

If you're already able to afford the outrageous price, then petpet paintbrushes should be trifling for you to obtain. The Vullard has a nice array of colors to choose from, including Halloween, where it obtains a snazzy bowtie, and grey, which gives it a subtle sort of melancholy.

WEEWOO

Price: Very high (300,000 NP)

Popularity: Very high

The Weewoo is an iconic petpet, best known for its association with The Neopian Times. Its popularity has continued to last despite its high price, and is unlikely to wane any time soon. Their de facto mascot status isn't the only reason the Weewoo is popular, after all--who can resist those adorable eyes and puffy feathers?

So common is the white Weewoo that it's easily mistaken for its default color! The Weewoo actually comes with naturally brown feathers, but many, many color options exist for it. Maraquan may be one of the more interesting colors available--turning a bird into a sea creature? Absolute madness.