List of avian humanoids  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Avian humanoids (people with the characteristics of birds) are a common motif in mythology, folklore and popular fiction.

In myth and legend

Myth

• Alkonost, Gamayun and Sirin from Russian mythology
• The winged gods Anzu/Zu, Siris, Lammasu/Shedu from Mesopotamian mythology
• Angels in Judeo Christian religion are often portrayed as winged humans
• The Faravahar of Zoroastrianism
• The Garuda, eagle-man mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology, was pluralized into a class of bird-like beings in Buddhist mythology
• The gods Horus and Thoth from Ancient Egyptian mythology were often depicted as humans with the heads of a falcon and an ibis, respectively.
• Huitzilopochtli, the "left-handed hummingbird"; god of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan
• Karura in Japanese folklore
• Lei Gong, a Chinese thunder god, often depicted as a Garuda-like bird man
• The second people of the world in Southern Sierra Miwok mythology, as reported by BarrettTemplate:Ref
• Nike, Boreas, Eros and the Gorgon sisters from Greek mythology are all depicted with birdlike wings. Also the Sirens and Harpies were often represented as half-human half-bird.Template:Ref
• Tangata manu of Easter Island, often depicted as a Frigate bird/Human hybrid

Folklore

• The Swan maidens found in the folktales of various cultures
• The Tengu of Japanese folklore, monstrous forest and mountain dwelling humanoids often possessing the wings, claws and sometimes the beak of a bird.

Cryptozoology

• Owlman in Cornwall

In fiction

Examples of avian humanoids in science fiction and fantasy fiction include:

Literature

• The winged people of Normnbdsgrsutt in Robert Paltock's utopian fantasy Peter Wilkins (1750), including Youwarkee, whom Peter marries.
• The Flock from Maximum Ride.
• The bird people of Brontitall, led by The Wise Old Bird, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are depicted by Douglas Adams as evolving from humans who are so sick of buying shoes that they become bird-like creatures and never set foot on the ground again (see Shoe Event Horizon).
• The race of garuda in fantasy author China Miéville's world Bas-Lag as featured in Perdido Street Station.
• In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, a race of magical creatures called Veela appear as extraordinarily beautiful women, but turn into frightening bird-like creatures when angered.
• Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus tells the story of a woman, Fevvers, who was born with wings.

Comics

• Angel/Archangel, a winged mutant from the X-Men series
• Bird-Man, from the Marvel Comics universe
• Flyer, a winged hero from the NEW-GEN series
• Hawkman (Katar Hol) and Hawkwoman, two winged human-like alien superheroes from the DC Comics Universe
• Howard the Duck hails from Duckworld, an alternate Earth where ducks evolved instead of apes.
• Northwind (another DC hero) comes from the hidden city of Feithera, a lost nation of avian humanoids.
• Red Raven is the last of the Marvel Comics Bird-people.
• Scrooge McDuck, uncle of Donald Duck, lives in Duckburg along with many anthropomorphized characters, mostly ducks and birds.
• Starhaven, colonized in the 23rd century Template:DC Universe and homeworld of Dawnstar in the 31st century.
• Swift, A fictional superheroine in the Wildstorm universe, member of superhero team known as The Authority

Film and television

• Birdmen, the race from which the character Hawk came in the television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
• Daffy Duck from the Loony Tunes and Merry Melodies animated shorts
• Big Bird from the children's show Sesame Street
• Darkwing Duck from the children's animated series Darkwing Duck
• Donald Duck from the Disney animated shorts.
• Duckman, from the animated sitcom of the same name
• Two mysterious bird-human hybrids from an episode of the TV series Aeon Flux (Season Three, Episode Two, Isthmus Crypticus)
• The Hawk Men ruled by Prince Vultan (Brian Blessed) in the comic strip, film serial and cult film Flash Gordon.
• The cartoon show Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series depicts the main characters as anthropomorphised ducks who play hockey and fight evil.
• Stratos and his kin in the Masters of the Universe cartoon series (and line of toys)
• The Avian Xindi from Star Trek: Enterprise.

Games

• Aarakocra a race of bird-like humanoids in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
• The Aracoix are a race of bird-people in the fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game Shadowbane.
• The Aven are a bird race from Otaria in the Magic: The Gathering novels and collectible card game.
• The Biata in the NERO International LARP game are a playable race of bird-like humanoids descended from gryphons.
• Chozo from the Metroid franchise of games.
• Falco Lombardi, from the Star Fox series.
• The Rito from the Zelda game The Wind Waker.
• Turians and Raloi from Mass Effect
• The Kig-Yar in Halo
• The Tengu in Guild Wars

See also

• Birdman
• List of piscine and amphibian humanoids
• List of reptilian humanoids