A ReGect characters as birds because... I have no excuse really I just like birds
Regect as a comb duck, like c'mon look at this big clumsy weirdo. I also considered picking something more generic with partial leucism like a crow or raven but these guys just look more interesting, mainly black and white with iridescent blues at the right angle and a yellowish tint on its head in the breeding season. It likes to perch in trees and builds its nests there, sometimes sharing one with multiple families. We don't know much more about it or why it looks the way it does. I also feel like he'd pick something niche like this as his favorite bird since he's just like that
A few contenders for Ze, for appearance alone I'd go for a pied wagtail for the pronounced black cap in most subspecies but for some reason it pains me to assign a bird that cannot be found in the US to a probably American character so I won't.
It's a tie between a northern pygmy owl and American kestrel. These birds have in common that they actively hunt for prey, but also something no other bird has, two spots on the back of the head that slightly resemble eyes. Since they're two of the smallest predator birds this will lower the chances of other birds getting too close or ganging up on them.
A (second generation) hybrid for Moenella. The sunburst macaw is a scarlet crossed with a verdi, which is the breeder name for a scarlet x great green hybrid. A huge and strong bird thanks to two of the largest species of macaw being crossed, both also being very playful, social and intelligent with frequent vocalisations. Generally very sweet if raised well but capable of delivering a nasty bite if need be. I was originally gonna go with a pink or moluccan cockatoo but this bird fits the clown theme a lot better.
Micha as a Canada jay. As a corvid it belongs to one of if not the most intelligent groups of birds and has a lot of different vocalizations including imitations of other birds. It's a relatively small jay, closer related to cyan-winged magpies than to typical jays. Canada jays near areas with lots of people quickly learn to associate humans with food, being less afraid of them than other birds and and approaching them often. Some native tribes associate the birds with a trickster or wise teacher mythological figure, a star, or see them as an omen of good fortune or danger. It's also just a really cute bird... wipes tear
