They’re funny birds and something of a slap in the face to the Capitol. During the rebellion, the Capitol bred a series of genetically altered
animals as weapons. The common term for them was muttations, or sometimes mutts for short. One was a special bird called a jabberjay that had
the ability to memorize and repeat whole human conversations. They were homing birds, exclusively male, that were released into regions where
the Capitol’s enemies were known to be hiding. After the birds gathered words, they’d fly back to centers to be recorded. It took people awhile to
realize what was going on in the districts, how private conversations were being transmitted. Then, of course, the rebels fed the Capitol endless
lies, and the joke was on it. So the centers were shut down and the birds were abandoned to die off in the wild.
Only they didn’t die off. Instead, the jabberjays mated with female mockingbirds creating a whole new species that could replicate both bird
whistles and human melodies. They had lost the ability to enunciate words but could still mimic a range of human vocal sounds, from a child’s highpitched
warble to a man’s deep tones. And they could re-create songs. Not just a few notes, but whole songs with multiple verses, if you had the
patience to sing them and if they liked your voice. My father was particularly fond of mockingjays. When we went hunting, he would whistle or sing
complicated songs to them and, after a polite pause, they’d always sing back. Not everyone is treated with such respect. But whenever my father
sang, all the birds in the area would fall silent and listen. His voice was that beautiful, high and clear and so filled with life it made you want to laugh
and cry at the same time. I could never bring myself to continue the practice after he was gone. Still, there’s something comforting about the little
bird. It’s like having a piece of my father with me, protecting me. I fasten the pin onto my shirt, and with the dark green fabric as a background, I can
almost imagine the mockingjay flying through the trees.