Squawk 2 Ya

Datu Masindi, forever the inventor, thought about a problem that was a perpetual condition of the islands: word traveled slower than palm sap. Island time was an understatement. Couriers were unreliable as travel between settlements required water or jungle navigation. Sometimes the presence of a beach bar between destinations could result in days delay of a delivery. The problem was accentuated with inter-island jobs, where weather conditions, pirates, and all other types of mishaps plagued communication between the Datus of islands near and far. If only the couriers could fly. As Masindi lounged in his hammock stretched along the Talunan shore, his eyes followed the circling gulls for several minutes before Eureka dawned on him.

After capturing several dozen birds, the work of training them began. Creating a system in which brightly colored wristbands were tied to the recipient as well as the bird's claw, the gulls were trained to match the two and deliver a message. Gulls and Parrots were found to be reliable for single island deliveries, while pelicans became the birds of choice for inter island and small deliveries.

The system was not without its issues--for one, birds with easily identifiable colored bands could be intercepted. Additionally, extreme weather could still delay or destroy a delivery. However, by and large, it became a favored system for communication within the islands, as it was much less expensive than hiring a courier, so much so that the Datus of the islands agreed to fund it as a public service for those living on the islands. Even the Colony learned to utilize the system, allowing messages between their settlements to fly alongside those of the other islands.

The official name of the service, Avian Island Deliver (AID) was quickly replaced by a colloquial favorite--Squawk 2 Ya. While the birds do not take money, they do enjoy tips in the form of seed or insects.