White-winged Wonder: Weewoo Migration (for Illusen)

     Illusen Day beckons a host of Petpets from their wintering grounds to their summering grounds, each year without fail, in an annual tradition spanning hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Migration is a complex choreography, a dangerous journey filled with incredible risks and the hope of great rewards. On this special, Illusen Day-themed installment of “Science with the Seekers,” we shall explore the history of monitoring Petpets with a focus on the Weewoo. Past and present will be discussed with the aid of experts in the field.

     Monitoring the Mascot

     Weewoo are the beloved Neopian Times mascot. Their haunting songs fill the skies, echoing across fields, mountains, and cities alike, inspiring countless creatives with their beauty, cunning, and curiosity. Stories about Weewoo alone could fill Neopia’s largest library with ease. But none of these tales came close to understanding the complexities of migration. How Weewoos survive their journey, or even if the same Petpets come to the castle garden each spring. Scholars of olde suggest that they burrow underground to avoid the winter chill. Others would point to Faerieland, still airborne at the time, and assume that the faeries provided a safe, warm home for the wintering Petpets. While it is true that some faeries have Petpet feeders (Weewoos love grubs, after all), many take long journeys from temperate climates to tropical ones. A combination of “ringing” and modern Virtutech have been instrumental in this research.

     Monitoring Weewoo has been of interest to scientists for generations. They are relatively docile, respond well to handmade nest boxes, are well-adjusted to Neopian communities, and show signs of intelligence equal to that of Crokabeks. For a review of Crokabek behavior, please consult Dr. Quinn Corvis’ journal article here. Not only do Weewoos function as messenger Petpets, but they can also solve basic puzzles, and flip through the Neopian Times comics section at every publication (whether they understand or simply view the pictures is not yet determined). The more we learn about these fascinating Petpets, the more we can protect their species and the many painted sub-species from decline.

     To Band a Bird: A History and a Legacy

     A few hundred years ago, Brightvalian Scholar Cornus Knightly put a gold metal band on the leg of his messenger Weewoo, Princess. Engraved on the band was the scholar’s family seal. At the time, it had been to mark the Petpet as his own, but it served a secondary purpose. The Neomail recipient knew from a glance who had sent their message when they saw her golden band. Cornus had not intended to use this for reasons other than confirming ownership, simplifying his life and the lives of his colleagues. But the technique served as a basis to be refined and reshaped for the scientific community.

     Flash forwards to modern times where scientists at Brightvale University and Citadel College are leading the charge with what they call “ringing,” or “bird banding.” A soft, billowing net placed strategically beside prime Weewoo habitat (mostly open with some brush for perching or evading predators) catches the Petpets. Specially trained biologists extract the Petpet from the net without harming them and use “ringing pliers” to wrap lightweight aluminum bands around their leg. Each band has a unique serial number and acts as an identification card. Information is gathered about the Petpets, including their weight, wing length, how well fed they are, if they have any physical injuries or pigmentation abnormalities, and if they are male or female. Whenever birds are refound, we learn about migratory patterns, longevity, and whether or not the Petpet has returned to the same location. It is because of these studies that we have a record of the longest lived Weewoo known to Neopian-kind: 10.5 years. This individual had been banded as a hatchling in Faerieland (prior to the fall) and traveled over 1000 miles to one nature preserve in Krawk Island. This summer, researchers are on the lookout for this senior Petpet in the hopes that “Elder Woo,” as the locals cheerily call him, has returned to raise yet another generation of young.

     Some Weewoo sub-species are more difficult to band than others. Darigan Weewoos are particularly cantankerous and are known to chomp on their bander’s fingers. One particularly exasperated bander exclaimed that she could not get the Weewoo to let go until she bribed it with a large Woo Woo Grub. Other subspecies, such as fire, are difficult to catch in standard nets and require fire resistant ones so that they don’t alight. Truly, capturing even a single species of Petpet is an art in and of itself, with modifications being made to best monitor individuals without providing undue stress upon them.

     One drawback to this “ringing” method is a low recapture rate. The likelihood of seeing the same Weewoo, even with trained biologists looking for the bands, is low (after all, only a small percentage of them are banded). Nonetheless, the data scientists can glean about the population they handle is invaluable. It has taught us a lot about this species' biology and has aided in the understanding of similar Petpets. For example, an early study published in the Brightvalian Star journal found that Weewoos lose feathers around their tummy right before their first egg is laid. This “brood patch” is an area of bare skin that directly transfers body heat from parent to child. Once this was discovered, it became far easier for scientists to determine whether an avian Petpet was raising young in the area.

     Banding will continue to be a critical means of monitoring these Petpets. It is quick, efficient, and the least expensive method available. As modern Virtutech evolves, however, we will be able to pinpoint migration patterns with a higher degree of accuracy, far more than banding ever could.

     Virtutech Now and Into the Future

     Virtupets has been an asset in creating advances once thought to be impossible. Such technological leaps have been made possible thanks to the efforts of Gorix and Cylara, heroes who saved Neopia from a ruinous return of Dr. Sloth.

     One such advance has been in radar tech. Believe it or not, weather isn’t the only thing that shows up on these radar maps. It can also predict and display large scale Petpet (and even Petpetpet!) migration.

      Most avian Petpets migrate at night. They use the stars as a guide or use Kreludor’s light to find a shoreline or mountain range. Raptors such as Albat and some mutant sub-species migrate during the day. On days with ideal wind conditions, hundreds or even thousands of Petpets might be migrating (for areas on the east coast in the spring, this would be a southwestern wind; south to give them a tailwind, west to push them towards the ocean). Places with a north-facing peninsula such as Cape Fae (renamed from Cape Fear after the fall of Faerieland) can be a hyper concentration point. Wildlife watchers from around the world gather each spring in Cape Fae hoping to see the spectacle of migration (or, if they’re lucky, the rare subspecies of Royal Petpet).

      Beyond radar, some Virtupets companies are using Petpet-sized, solar-powered backpacks capable of transmitting real-time location data. With this, we’ve been able to watch an individual Weewoo’s movement and determine where its stop-over points are. Once we understand where Weewoos and other pets roost on their journeys, we can ensure that these areas are prioritized for conservation and restoration.

      PhD student Melody Harvester has been in the field monitoring Weewoo migration from their wintering grounds to their nesting grounds (in this individual Petpet’s case from Krawk Island to Meridell). She was able to track it from a combination of real-time data and radio telemetry (using radio waves to detect the device on the Petpet). These are her field notes pertaining to Weewoo-T1Y9:

     2nd Day of Running, Y25:

     Assisted in putting tracker on Weewoo, newly banded #T1Y9. This is a female bird. Based on the feather molt patterns in her wings, she hatched last spring. Healthy, with good fat reserves. Living on Dubloon Island, 25 miles southwest of the mainland Krawk Island. Mostly nature preserve in the area with a history of poaching or illegal harvesting of raw materials. Populations of wintering Weewoos have been increasing with more wildlife ranger presence in the area.

     4th Day of Eating, Y25:

     Refound T1Y9 foraging in a wildlife garden planted by a local Krawk Island nature club within view of the ocean. Mostly eating protein-rich food such as grubs or caterpillars. Sometimes she feeds on serviceberries. Foraging actively, eating for hours before resting in a holly. Fluttered towards the ocean a few times before turning around. According to Virtutech data, there are ideal winds predicted tonight.

     9th Day of Eating, Y25:

     Three nights ago, there was a storm. Many of the migratory Petpets have been hunkering down in natural holes or caves on the island. After two full days of searching, we found her. T1Y9 survived the journey to Verdebell Isle, a large green expanse to the southeast of Meridell. She is missing a primary feather and three tail feathers, a presumed predation attempt. I spotted six Cyodrakes, a known predator of Weewoos, circling in the ocean on my boat ride to the field site. Small, multinational villages have popped up on this island. Many of the occupants are subsistence farmers or fishermen. Some leave farming scraps in a pile, which hungry Weewoos, including this one, have been foraging around. She has been resting when not foraging, restoring lost fat reserves used from the long flight.

     25th Day of Eating, Y25:

     After almost two weeks (including five days of heavy rains), T1Y9 has been detected in the northern reaches of Verdebell Isle. This section of the island is treacherous and hard to access on foot. I spotted her through binoculars at a distance as she made a short circling flight near the tip of the island. She was vocalizing, making a “Weeeeee-woooooooo” song heard most frequently on territory. Some species of avian Petpets, including this one, is known to do “choir practice,” singing before arriving at their destination. This grants them an advantage: ones with a warmed-up voice have a stronger voice when establishing their home ranges.

     1st Day of Hunting, Y25:

     A scholar colleague of mine, Dr. Tringa Rune, had been doing butterfly surveys in the area and noticed a banded Weewoo with a transmitter. I met up with her and the two of us watched T1Y9 and a second Weewoo take small twigs to a handmade nest box. She has been singing actively, as has her partner. On the 10th day of hunting, we recorded 5 eggs in the box. Only 4 of the 5 eggs hatched and 3 young survived to fledging. She remained in the vicinity of the nest box until 3 weeks post-fledge and then dispersed to find food in Meridell.

     We will keep monitoring this individual on her southbound migration route and compare that to other individuals who are concentrated by Cape Fae. Some of these data will benefit from improved relations from previously hostile nations. Now that the Darigan Citadel and Meridell are at peace, we can create more effective conservation strategies. Indeed, to best serve our natural resources, we must work in partnership with one another. That will be the best and only way to ensure that our avian friends are present both now and into the future.

     ~x~

     Conclusions

     As technology improves, our ability to monitor this species grows. Given their historical issues with Petpet trade, habitat loss, and predation, more data will be needed to create management guidelines for the species. Included in these will be specific land use recommendations for critical migration stop over sites, such as Verdebell Isle and financial incentivization for wildlife gardens and crop rotation.

     Until then, join us next time on “Science with the Seekers.” Stay curious!