Ghang Ghang Bird

The Ghang Ghang Bird is the result of one of evolution’s more unfortunate twists. Its ancestors had an incredible talent for mimicry, far surpassing that of parrots or magpies. It is said that Pog William Mupus II, the King of Blintz in the PIth Century, had one as a pet which could recite the entire fifth act from Shnooker’s classic opera There's a Lumpy Fellow.   The number of sounds the birds can mimic has now, regrettably, dwindled to just one (though the dissonant pitch and tonal differences in a chorus of Ghang Ghangs have been known to cause gastro-intestinal disturbances in listeners).   The first migratory Ghang Ghang flock to arrive in the Gri’x settled in the Bell Tower of Tunkerville Station, and their descendants live there to this day. Every hour, the great bells resound throughout the land, imprinting the long, low chime ever deeper into the Ghang Ghangs’ collective genetic code.   Ghang Ghang birds are of a nervous temperament, and one loud noise tends to set off the entire flock. It is for this reason that Tunkerville Station imposes a strict “no whistles” rule on all approaching or departing trains, and commuters are strongly discouraged from speaking above a whisper, slamming doors, or dropping their luggage. The birds’ mimicry of the bells every hour is bad enough; no one wants to startle them into an impromptu outburst or, worse, inspire them to add even more obnoxious noises to their repertoire.   Besides the screaming, they are prone to fits of tap dancing when particularly excited, though where they learned this particular talent remains a mystery.