Bird

“

I think I hear the bird! Pick me up! Click to listen — GLaDOS on ornithophobia

”

The Bird, also known as the Crow and Horseshit Goddamn Bird, is a recurring character throughout many Valve titles and parent of three unnamed chicks.

The Bird serves as Portal 2's secondary antagonist during the single player campaign, after Wheatley's takeover of Aperture Science, and returns later as the primary antagonist during the additional cooperative testing course, Art Therapy.

Background

The Bird made it's first appearance as a minor character in Half-Life 2, where it observed the player's actions. Over a period of two weeks, the Bird had learned to manipulate objects to suit it's needs. During the game's finale, the Bird entered a portal that transported it to a parallel world that was overwhelmed with many types of zombies.

After encountering several other birds of the same breed, the Bird and it's flock gathered on a large mound located in Georgia. A group of four humans arrived, however, and cost the Bird it's sizable group of companions. Attempting to end it's life, the Bird dove into the nearest body of water, and was somehow transported back to it's original universe, decades after it's departure. From there, the Bird located Aperture Science, and began attempts at procreating without a partner.

Overview

Portal 2

Reawakening era

Some time into the game's singleplayer campaign, protagonist Chell and tritagonist GLaDOS become separated from each other. In a strange plot to absorb GLaDOS' intellect into it's own form, the Bird abducts the AI and takes her to it's nest. However, this plan is foiled by the efforts of Chell, who rescues GLaDOS.

Cooperative testing era

The Bird, in a final attempt to shift control of the Enrichment Center over to it's side, somehow finds, activates, and uses a prototype chassis of the central core. GLaDOS, now in full control of the facility, dispatches the robots Atlas and P-Body to kill the Bird. The robots stumble across the Bird's nest, placed above the central core's keyboard, and as GLaDOS observes it, she panics and yells at them to abort their mission. Startled, the Bird is forced to flee it's home. P-body then closes the hatch that the Bird flew out from, making it impossible for it to return.

Abilities and traits

The Bird is capable of many astounding abilities, including, but not limited to: flight, asexual reproduction, has shown some competency at manipulating a keyboard.

Gallery

GLaDOS and the Bird's chicks.

List of appearances

• Half-Life 2
• Portal 2
• Left 4 Dead
• Left 4 Dead 2