Jaybird

From WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia.

Jaybird is an anthropomorphic bluejay and the online alias (fursona) of a computer network and server administrator that resides in Mechanicsburg, PA and is married to Inhandra. He also goes by the alias of Kalio, a winged cat. Jaybird as a character was first created in April of 1996 as a nick-name to use for the channel #sonic on IRC (EFNet).

From the mid 1990s through the mid 2000s he was frequently involved with online socializing on furry and Sonic the Hedgehog related MU* worlds and IRC channels. He was also an avid role player on MUCKs such as SPR, Fluff MUCK, ChaosMUCK, Sonic the Hedgehog MUCK, and several others. Most role playing was within the theme of "Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM", which was a Saturday morning cartoon show based on the popular video game, but some role playing also branched out in to other themes related to fantasy and anime. In addition to MU* socializing and role playing, Jaybird was a server administrator and co-head wizard of the MUCKs The Cry for Freedom and K'raii (as Kalio) and on IRC he was one of the founding channel operators for #sonic on EFNet (originally as Jay-Bird).

Starting in late 2001 he was also a frequent visitor of Furcadia, where he went by his Kalio alias (originally Kalio_Thalius) and by the next year was a part of the beekin online help staff, eventually serving as a head of Furcadia's help desk in addition to fulfilling other duties. From the mid to late 2000s and onward his appearance within online communities has become significantly more rare but he still occasionally visits Furcadia, #softpaws on FurNet (IRC), and furry clubs on Second Life. He also still semi-regularly attends nearby furry conventions with his wife Inhandra, specifically Anthrocon and FurTheMore.

Personal Details[edit]

His real life name is Jason, though he also goes by the nick-name 'Jay', and was born on March 23, 1983. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Systems Development from York College, works full-time for an agency within the US Department of Defense as a computer backup and storage area network (SAN) administrator, and has resided in Mechanicsburg, PA since 2007. A Pennsylvania native all of his life, he was born in the western part of the state before moving to Lansford, a small town in the north east, where he was raised from age five to adulthood. He then went on to live and attend college in York before moving to his current residence.

Aside from the social aspects of the furry fandom he also enjoys viewing, and occasionally commissioning, furry artwork and has a general affinity or likeness towards anthropomorphic furry characters in general used in various media such as fantasy stories, comics, cartoons, and video games. Some of his other hobbies and interests include being a car enthusiast and the sports of auto racing, bowling and football, playing new and old console and PC video games, watching animated shows, and tinkering with both computer hardware and software in general.

Character Details[edit]

Full Name: Jaybird Kindle

First Appearance (1997)
StH Role Play Rendition (2001)
Convention Badge (2012)
Rough Sketch of Gryphon Form (2012)

Although Jaybird is normally classified as a bluejay, his plumage colors do not match typical bluejay patterns. Also, his beak and skin are yellow-orange instead of black like a traditional bluejay. The main reasoning for this is because the author of this character did not consider such details at the time of his creation, and by the time it was noticed his character had already been well established in online character descriptions and artwork. Thus it was decided to keep him uniquely 'bluejay(ish)', as quoted on his personal FurAffinity page.

The character of Jaybird has however gone through a few revisions over the years. Upon initial creation, his plumage was all blue, having a light blue stomach, head crest, and tail feathers while the rest of him was a common medium blue. He also was not originally depicted with any arms, instead using his wings as pseudo arms and hands such as with typical Disney style avian characters. This was eventually changed as now he is depicted with both wings and separate arms and hands. His colors have also changed over time; his stomach plumage became pure white while his head crest and tail feathers are also now mostly white with a slight mixture of lighter blues. More recently his character has taken on more of a gryphon-like appearance, his avatar on Second Life now having a white tail and furred legs with paws, with the intent of making him a sort of hybrid with the author's alternative character, Kalio the white furred and winged house cat. Throughout the character's history his eyes have always been depicted as light blue.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 'tiny plot' role play on MUCKs such as SPR and Chaos, Jaybird was a well established member of the Freedom Fighters, a batch of young anthropomorphic rebels residing in the hidden village of Knothole within the Great Forest, attempting to take back their home city of Mobotropolis and rescue all inhabitants turned to robots by the evil mastermind, Dr. Ivo Robotnik. His ability to fly made him a useful asset for spying and recon, though he was also a fairly skilled fighter and often carried a spear, which he is still shown with in some depicted artwork.

Outside of fantasy role play, Jaybird is a generally shy but friendly and polite bluejay. Although often quiet at times, he does enjoy the company of others and once comfortable with his surroundings, can be quite sociable.