Parrot (dNetHack)

From NetHackWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about the monster in dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack. For the monster in other variants, see parrot.

A parrot, B, is a type of monster that appears in dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack. Most of its traits are derived from its appearance in the Pirate patch, both the original by Nephi and the later version by dNetHack developer ChrisANG.

The parrot is a tiny, herbivorous and oviparous bird that is capable of flight, can be seen via infravision, and has a tendency to wander while moving. Parrots have 4 points of AC, all in the "dodge" category. If the hero plays a song on a wooden flute or magic flute via the musicalize spell skill, tame parrots will whistle along while hostile ones will squawk in opposition.

A parrot has a bite attack and a claw attack.

A hero polymorphed into a parrot is stunned for the duration of that form.

Chatting to a parrot causes it to squawk.

Generation

Randomly generated parrots are always created hostile.

Pirates have a 12 chance of starting the game with a tame parrot as their default pet.

Parrots may be generated as minions of Thoth.

Four parrots are randomly placed on the Paradise Island map of the Sea during level creation. Parrots make up 310 of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Peanut Island map of the Sea.

From the Madman quest's locate level onward, parrots can appear among the random B that are part of the second quest monster class for Madpeople and makes up 3175 of monsters randomly generated on the Madman quest. Parrots also appear among the random B that are part of the first quest monster class for Wizards and make up 24175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Wizard quest.

Two parrots are randomly placed on the upper filler levels of the Archeologist quest at level creation. Four parrots are randomly placed on the upper filler levels of the Pirate quest at level creation.

Kicking a tree on the Pirate quest and the Paradise Island map of the Sea has an effective 425 chance of causing several parrot eggs to 'drop' from it, and has a 145 chance of generating 2-5 hostile parrots adjacent to the tree with the number of parrots dependent on the hero's luck.

Origin

Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as "psittacines", are birds with a strong curved beak, an upright stance and clawed feet—. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera, found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions: Psittaculidae (Old World parrots), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots), Cacatuidae (cockatoos), and Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots). Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution, with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well; the greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.

Parrots are among the most intelligent birds alongside others such as ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, and the ability of some parrot species to learn and imitate human speech enhances their popularity as pets. They form the most variably-sized bird order in terms of length, and many are vividly coloured with some also being multi-colored. Most parrots' diets are composed primarily of seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material; lories and lorikeets are specialised for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits, while more than a few species of parrots sometimes eat grubs, insects, carrion, or even other birds. Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs that hatch into helpless young. Parrots are the only creatures to display true tripedalism, walking with a rolling gait and using their necks and beaks as limbs when climbing.

Due to trapping, hunting, habitat loss, and competition from invasive species, one-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with a higher aggregate extinction risk than any other comparable bird group. As of 2021, about 50 million parrots (half of all parrots) live in captivity, with the vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes—measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems.

Fictional depictions of pirates in media frequently depict captains and other higher-ranking pirates with pet parrots that often loudly repeat things they've overhead, or else talk of their own accord. One likely basis for this trope is the 1883 novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which features "Captain Flint" as the talking parrot companion of Long John Silver: she is named for a notorious deceased pirate captain, and her habitual refrain is "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"