my swellow can’t particularly read things that aren’t words we specifically trained for [flashcards while sick ftw!], but he does like making himself comfortable and having me read entries to him! sure that doesn’t count as a blogging bird, but still!

My shiny Swellow recently laid a clutch of 4 eggs, and they hatched a couple of days ago. One of the Taillow actually hatched shiny too and it appears she’s paying more attention to this chick than the rest. Is this because of its colour being the same as hers or could there perhaps be another reason?

Not so much because the chick’s color is the same as hers, anonymous, as it is because shiny pokémon have a decreased likelihood to survive. Most shinies are easier to spot than their standard-colored counterparts, as their coloration stands out as something new and different, rather than something a predator might have seen more than a few times. (Alternatively, yes, some colors can stand out in that they render a pokémon incapable of blending in with their environment, and this is true for a shiny taillow as well.) As such, your swellow is likely grooming her shiny chick a little more than the others to ensure its survival outside the nest. It’s really only worrisome if the mother is completely ignoring the rest of her brood altogether.

Why is Swellow such a great, beautiful pokemon <3

You really ought to look into farfetch’d, Falkner. Those are good, reliable pokémon.

Edit: I have just been informed by my editor that this response may be considered “rude.”

It’s difficult to say what, objectively, makes a pokémon so great, anonymous. In my personal opinion, I find its protective flocking habits to be fascinating: that’s unusual for a final-stage bird pokémon. Most others prefer living on their own or controlling vast amounts of territory that their pre-evolutions just happen to live on. Swellow, on the other hand, live in true communities, and it’s quite inspiring to see the lengths they would go to in order to protect their flocks.

Of course, that’s just my opinion, and other people are certainly welcome to disagree or to find something else even more fascinating about swellow.

Anything on caring for a Taillow and a Fletchling that live together, will they need toys or mirrors for their cage? I may be adopting them from someone and while I’ve been assured they get along great now, will I have to worry about them fighting once they get older and evolve?

Thanks to taillow’s flocking instincts and the fact that they were already integrated with one another previously, you will likely not need to worry about these two fighting. You may need to aware of possible tension later on in their respective evolutions because of swellow’s protectiveness compared to talonflame’s preference for solitary hunting, but by then, they should have spent enough time with one another that resolving this issue shouldn’t be too difficult. Tamed pokémon generally do remarkably well together if they’re taught from early ages to see one another as teammates, rather than members of opposing species, and this is something every good trainer has some concept of already.

The only thing you’ll really need to worry about is space. Both of these pokémon will need large cages by default, but as they evolve, they’ll need more and more area to fly about in. Talonflame especially need vast swaths of territory, especially given the fact that it will very likely want to exercise its signature fire abilities. If you’re a traveling trainer, you may have all the space you’ll need for your talonflame to feel comfortable, but domestic situations may be a bit more challenging. It’s best to give your fletchling or fletchinder an everstone to avoid the problem altogether, but if your fletchinder insists on evolving, move your talonflame’s roost outdoors.

Swellow, who are more used to nesting, may be fine indoors as well, but bird pokémon generally thrive better in fresh air. Yours may be just fine sharing a space with your talonflame, however—again because its flocking instincts will drive it to share space with other birds. The only thing you would need to add to this outdoor home would be a nesting box for your swellow, especially if the swellow is the female while the talonflame is the male. (Be aware that the two may be tempted to mate. If you allow this, then the box will be necessary. If your swellow is the male in the pairing, your talonflame can build a nest anywhere. Simply provide her with materials and be aware that “anywhere” may mean your roof. If they’re the same gender, then this point is moot, although your swellow will find comfort in the box anyway.)

As for general care, mirrors are certainly a good idea to keep them occupied, as are jingling toys, ropes, and different levels of perches. Always invest in heat-resistant toys for rather obvious reasons. You will also need a sand bath for your fletchling if it evolves. If it doesn’t, it will do just fine in a water bath alongside your taillow and/or swellow. Both need sources of drinking water either way. Additionally, both have similar diets and can eat seeds as well as dried insects if they don’t eat kibble. (However, be aware that your fletchling may also prefer worms—available at pokémon bait shops—as well as larger chunks of meat in its talonflame stage.) As for lining, you can line their cages with shredded paper and untreated newspaper. This is true even as fletchling evolves, as a fletchinder’s and talonflame’s droppings do not, well, come out on fire (unlike a number of other fire-types’ excrement).

Best of luck, anonymous!

Recently my brother brought home a young Pidgey and my two Swellow (both male) are both very protective over it. They’re not fighting with each other, I mean they are working together, almost like parents, to look after this Pidgey. They take turns trying to feed or guard it and are occasionally becoming aggressive towards anyone who goes near. Why could they be doing this, and is it a common thing?

Out of all the common, bird-like pokémon in any region, taillow and swellow are actually the most social. They commonly organize themselves in massive flocks that are much, much larger than even typical pidgey flocks, especially when it comes time to lay eggs and raise their young. In fact, the reason why tamed taillow vocalize so much is simply because they’re running on instinct: young taillow vocalize to call other members of its species to it so it can seek comfort in numbers.

Upon evolution, swellow tend to be a little more independent (much like other evolved bird-like pokémon), but their flocking instincts never really go away. Even as swellow, they’ll respond to young taillow and swoop in to protect and care for those that seem to be abandoned.

That’s basically what your swellow are doing with your brother’s pidgey. To your swellow, that pidgey is simply an odd-looking but abandoned pidgey, so they’ve accepted it into their “flock” and are attempting to raise it until it’s strong enough to find a mate and hunt on its own. Very likely, though, your swellow will stick very close to your brother’s pidgey throughout its life, as even when it reaches maturity, they will see it as another member of its flock and will engage in typical taillow flocking tendencies as your brother’s pidgey seeks out a mate, lays eggs, and hatches its own young.

In short, it’s so common that this is textbook swellow behavior. I wouldn’t worry about it too much unless it’s particularly disruptive to your or your brother’s lives.

Would you be able to write about swellow please? Its my favourite pokemon :)

Certainly! And thank you for your patience, anonymous.

Taillow
The Tiny Swallow Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 276
Entry: Due to their rapid growth and tendency to evolve rather quickly for bird-like pokémon, most taillow found in the wild are actually extremely young. Nonetheless, these are gutsy, spirited creatures who can hold their own in a battle. Out of a battle, however, taillow have an unfortunate tendency to cry when they’re hungry, when they’re lonely, when the weather is a few degrees colder than they care for, when it’s dark, when the wind is too strong for their liking, and several other instances that make earplugs wise investments for trainers who may be considering raising a taillow of their own.

Swellow
The Swallow Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Official Registration #: 277
Entry: The evolved form of taillow, by battle experience. Known for its excellent flying skills—which consist of a combination of speed, endurance, and maneuverability that are virtually unmatched in the pokémon kingdom—swellow have the ability to swoop down from hundreds of feet in the air to snatch the tiniest insect in their feet with perfect accuracy. Of course, these skills are not limited for use in their daily hunting flights. In fact, swellow also use feats of aerial prowess to perform elaborate mating rituals, fly hundreds of miles to warmer climates in the autumn and winter, and coordinate with other swellow to carry coconuts tied together using a line of creeper held under the dorsal guiding feathers.