The Birdwatcher,[a] also known as the Bird Lady,[b] is a character in The Precursor Legacy. Living in northwestern Sandover Village, she is an elderly woman who cares for the local avian wildlife. This notably included the flut flut, who she cared for along with Samos Hagai.
The Birdwatcher was one of the first to witness or be affected by increasing lurker aggression around Sandover, as a result of their movement south in search of Precursor artifacts and eco.
History[]
Jak and Daxter speaking with the Birdwatcher in her hut.
When Jak and Daxter approached the Birdwatcher, she mistook Daxter for a "spotted orange-bellied rain fray", presumably due to the ottsel's orange fur, and the fact that she first looked at him through her binoculars. She explained that the day earlier, she witnessed "terribly vicious" lurkers capture a mother flut flut, orphaning her egg atop a cliff on Sentinel Beach. The Birdwatcher requested that the duo rescue the egg in exchange for a power cell, in the mission "Push the flut flut egg off the cliff". She had already prepared a pile of hay to protect the egg upon impact.[10]
The Birdwatcher rewarding Jak with a power cell for rescuing the orphaned flut flut.
After Jak and Daxter completed the mission, the Birdwatcher stated she would care for the flut flut chick at the village, along with Samos.[11] Later, the Birdwatcher allowed Keira to outfit the chick with a saddle, so that Jak could use it as a mount for faster and longer travel.[3]
Characteristics[]
Concept art of the Birdwatcher.
The Birdwatcher is a human with fair skin, green eyes, and a stout build. She wears a thick green boilersuit with elbow-length bishop sleeves, and a utility belt connected to suspenders. Appropriate to her occupation, she wears a falconer's bracer on her right arm, and a yellow-orange bird suit on her head and around her neck, topped with a large feather. She uses binoculars for birdwatching and to watch over the village.[6]
The Birdwatcher is gentle yet eccentric; a delicate elder who can also be demanding. She is vigilant in caring for local wildlife, perhaps using her attire to promote trust with her charges, disguise herself, or both. She usually prefers avian affection to that of people;[6] her hut, located in northwestern Sandover Village, houses many caged birds, which chirp loudly and carry various colors (most resembling hummingbirds).
Behind the scenes[]
The Bird Girl by Charles Zembillas.
Originally known as the Bird Girl during development,[12][13] the Birdwatcher was conceived by character artist Charles Zembillas as a "sexy librarian type who would have a passion for birds and other animals".[13] Art director Bob Rafei then produced a design with the signature bird hood, impressing Zembillas who felt "it was an instance where I wished I had thought of it myself".[14]
The non-canon "Where Are They Now?" section of The Official Jak 3 Guide details the Birdwatcher's post-The Precursor Legacy whereabouts. Supposedly named Tweetledov Perch, she opened an avian petting zoo for wayward and troubled birds, later becoming internationally famous when she used her bird suit to secretly live among wild birds for more than a decade. Her research was then documented in the film Chickens in the Misty Branches — My Life With the Great Eggs.[9]
Notes[]
- Annotations
- ↑ Referred to as such by Daxter[2] and Keira,[3] as well as in The Precursor Legacy credits,[1] and in Prima's Official Strategy Guide.[4]
- ↑ Labeled as such in concept art,[5] in the game's Design Bible,[6] in the game asset files,[7] in the Jak 3 model viewer,[8] and in The Official Jak 3 Guide.[9]
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Precursor Legacy, credits
- ↑ The Precursor Legacy script § "Daxter (gameplay) 3"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Precursor Legacy script § "Keira 3"
- ↑ Winding 2001, p. 15
- ↑ Rafei 2000
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Naughty Dog & Limited Run Games [2000] 2019, Chapter 4: "Minor Characters" § "Supporting Characters Village 1"
- ↑ The Precursor Legacy, file:
BEA/bird-lady-ag.go - ↑ Jak 3, The Precursor Legacy Model Viewer
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Schrader 2004, p. 187
- ↑ The Precursor Legacy script § "Birdwatcher"
- ↑ The Precursor Legacy script § "Birdwatcher 2"
- ↑ Naughty Dog & Limited Run Games [2000] 2019, Chapter 8: "Plot/Story" § "Story Synopsis"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Zembillas 2002, set 25, page 479
- ↑ Zembillas 2002, set 25, page 483
References[]
- Rafei, Bob (2000, November 6). Bird Lady Village 1. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020.
- Naughty Dog (2000; 2019). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Design Bible — Original Production Binder [Book]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Limited Run Games.
- Naughty Dog (2001). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2.
- Winding, Dave (2001). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy: Prima's Official Strategy Guide [Book]. Prima Games, Sony Computer Entertainment. Naughty Dog. ISBN 0761536892.
- Zembillas, Charles (2002). 603: Character Development by Charles Zembillas. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017.
- Naughty Dog (2004). Jak 3 [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2.
- Schrader, Nathali (2004). The Official Jak 3 Guide [Book]. Piggyback Interactive, Sony Computer Entertainment. Naughty Dog. ISBN 0761549285.