One of the many tropical birds located on the Island, I introduce to you the Miniature Spitfire. It is based on a Common Sparrow of Earth. These birds are small and very light and both genders differ greatly from one another.

The color of a male's feathers ranges from orange to auburn. They have crests atop their heads and longer tail feathers. However, when a male enters breeding season, parts of his body begin to turn bright red. Pictured above is a male Miniature Spitfire during breeding season. There are small oil sacs spread around his body and are inactive most of the year. When he enters breeding season, he flies to the nearest oil producing plant. He sips up the special nectar produced and his fire sacs fill up. As soon as they are full (which takes quite a few trips to different flowers), the sacs are able to alter the color of some of the males feathers, turning them bright red. The crest feathers, wing feathers, and tail feathers turn red, and these tiny birds become an impressive display. Their mating ritual lacks any real fire (lol pun?) as all it is, is them making a fool of themselves for the female by dancing like a fool. If the female approves of his dance, she bows to him, and after a quick dance with one another, they mate.

Female Miniature Spitfires are rather bland. They are black or a dull grey and lack any special feathers. However, they do have a fire tube and a fire sac. However, these are not used for defense. The need to use their fire only comes about when their chicks have hatched. They fly to the oil plant and drink the nectar from its flowers. The fire they create serves two purposes:

1. When the chicks are first born, the mother regurgitates not only food into their mouths, but bits of the oil. The oil is absorbed into the chicks' skin and feathers, making them fire retardant.

2. Momma has a bit of a one track mind. When she goes to look for food, she can only concentrate on one thing at a time. So before she leaves to gather food, she lights her nest on fire. The chicks huddle together, protected from the fire via their feathers. Generally, the mother is not gone too long and can quickly put the fire out; though if the mother is gone too long, then any of the chicks can die after prolonged exposure. Because of such a daring act of protection, the nests are generally built close to an oil producing plant and where materials are plentiful to rebuild the constantly charred nest.

The oil plant that produces the oil needed for many of the Island's animals has a flowering season that corresponds with the Miniature Spitfire's breeding season. The plant is able to create a special nectar that only these birds can feed on.