Item #: SCP-7044

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-7044 is to be housed in a spacious room, with large windows that allow sunlight to enter. The room should be filled with plants common to North American temperate forests. Bushes and small trees are preferable if available. SCP-7044 is to be given a diet of insects, seeds, and berries. Insects may be cultivated in the neighboring room, provided they do not escape.

SCP-7044's enclosure may be kept open during daylight hours, and SCP-7044 is permitted to move freely around the facility. The only exceptions to this rule are operating theaters or any space being used to hold anomalies.

Under no circumstances is any individual of the genus felus catus to be permitted on-site.

In the event of a security breach, SCP-7044 has been fitted with a lightweight tracking device on the right leg, to allow easy locating.

Any cross-testing with other anomalies requires a B-2 form submitted to the facility administrator for approval.

Description: SCP-7044 is a female of the species Poecile atricapillus, more commonly known as the black-capped chickadee. Externally, the subject shows no anomalous properties. However, testing has revealed some unusual abilities.

SCP-7044 produces a calming effect through vocalization, which has been shown to temporarily alleviate high-stress emotions such as grief, anxiety, fear, and depression.1 Touching SCP-7044 also instills feelings of comfort. Patients who interact with SCP-7044 have frequently reported feeling a personal connection with the bird.

SCP-7044 has an ability to quickly learn human recreational activities, and can adapt to the hobbies of others. If physically unable to engage in the activity, SCP-7044 will look for a way to show support.

Other anomalous traits observed in SCP-7044 include:

Heightened intelligence, including an ability to recognize human faces and quickly learn complex ideas. Although unable to speak it, SCP-7044 has shown a thorough understanding of English.

An ability to consume food outside of a chickadee's normal dietary capability, including human food, with no detrimental effects. However, SCP-7044 still prefers the diet of a wild chickadee.

An ability to recognize glass surfaces2

An ability to lift objects of significantly greater weight than its own body.

A defense mechanism consisting of a powerful sonic blast emitted from the beak, though SCP-7044 uses this ability exclusively against cats.

Discovery

SCP-7044 was discovered by Dr. Rosalyn Tesario, who encountered the specimen while birdwatching at High Park in Toronto, Canada. At the time, SCP-7044 was a newly-hatched chick that had apparently fallen out of a nest, displaying an apparent injury to the wing. Tesario could not find any sign of a chickadee nest in the immediate area. She brought the bird to the Toronto Wildlife Center, where she volunteered outside of work hours, and immediately began caring for the specimen.

The first detail Tesario noticed was the chick's wing healed at an unusually fast rate. In a matter of hours, no sign of injury was visible. Dr. Tesario began to suspect the bird of having anomalous properties and prepared a report for the Foundation.

Incident 1:

A staff member at the Toronto Wildlife Center had been struggling with the recent loss of her wife. According to Dr. Tesario's report, she had just returned after a period of absence, and was given the simple job of feeding the bird, which had now grown into a fledgling. When visited by Dr. Tesario, she noted the patient was surprisingly calm. The patient later claimed to have found the bird's noises to be "soothing."

Incident 2:

A teenage volunteer was having difficulty keeping up with his tasks. He is described by Dr. Tesario as being extremely quiet and reserved, but easily prone to outbursts that lacked a clear motivation. Tesario arranged for him to meet with the bird. The volunteer began to calm down and started to open up about his difficult home life.

Incident 3:

A careless volunteer decided to bring his housecat to work, and it managed to get into the wider facility. The cat managed to wander into the room where SCP-7044 was being housed. Upon seeing the bird, its hunting instincts kicked in and it attempted to kill SCP-7044. However, SCP-7044 noticed the incoming threat and faced it directly. SCP-7044 then emitted a sonic blast that launched the cat across the room at a speed of approximately 50 miles per hour. The cat's body smashed through the wall and flew into the next room over, where it shattered on impact.

The incident confirmed Dr. Tesario's suspicions of SCP-7044's anomalous qualities. A full report was sent to the Foundation. Amnestics were administered to its staff. Efforts were briefly complicated when the cat's owner attempted to file a lawsuit against the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, but an embedded agent acting as a lawyer managed to discredit his case and ensured it was thrown out.

Dr. Tesario had SCP-7044 brought to a nearby Foundation facility for research.

Adendum: Test Log:

SCP-7044 was placed in a large pet carrier, that was put into a small room containing only a table and one chair. SCP-7044 was placed on the table within easy reach from the chair.

Subject: D-7139

Researcher: Dr. Rosalyn Tesario

Forward: In order to produce a strong emotion for SCP-7044 to calm down, a member of D-Class had been selected and informed that he was the subject of a dangerous test. Dr. Tesario staged a conversation with a fellow researcher that the D-Class was allowed to "overhear." The discussion made vague references to the subject's minimal chances of survival, and a high probability that his death would be painful.

Subject was brought into the room containing SCP-7044 and told to sit down. He was then told to wait for further instructions. Subject was left alone for five minutes. Subject looked into the cage, apparently confused about what test was about to be performed.

At the five-minute mark, Dr. Tesario stepped into the room with a clipboard. The resulting test was recorded with a hidden camera.

<BEGIN LOG>

Dr. Tesario: D-7139?

D-7139: Yes

Dr. Tesario starts pretending to search for his number on her clipboard.

Dr. Tesario: Ah yes, you're scheduled for testing with SCP-7044.

D-7139: What's that?

Dr. Tesario: Didn't we tell you?

D-7139: No, just that it was probably going to get me killed. Probably quite painfully.

Dr. Tesario: I'm sure you'll be fine.

D-7139: I heard your little conversation. You said my odds were virtually non existent.

Dr. Tesario: I see. Well, you'll know soon enough.

D-7139: Please don't make me do this.

Dr. Tesario: I'm afraid we don't have much choice. Now I need you to open the carrier.

D-7139: This carrier here? Why? What's inside?

Dr. Tesario: Just open it.

D-7139: The carrier's the weird thing isn't it? You want me to open it so I get sucked in a black hole or something?

Dr. Tesario: We don't know what will happen. That's why we need you to open it.

D-7139: No. No, I'm not playing your game.

D-7139 stands up and faces Dr. Tesario. She signals for a guard to enter. The Guard immediately shoves D-7139 back into his seat.

Dr. Tesario: Open the carrier.

D-7139 nervously reaches toward the carrier and opens it. He stares inside for a moment, before being startled as SCP-7044 hops out.

D-7139: What is this?

Dr. Tesario: What do you see?

D-7139: Just a stupid bird. Wait, is there something up with this? Is it going to bite my finger off or something?

SCP-7044 begins chirping

Dr. Tesario: Pet the bird.

D-7139: What?

Dr. Tesario: Pet the bird.

D-7139 stares at the bird for a moment before using his index finger to stroke the bird's head. SCP-7044 responds with an enthusiastic chirp.

D-7139: You're kinda cute.

Dr. Tesario: You seem to be feeling a lot better.

D-7139: A little.

Dr. Tesario: That's good.

D-7139's body becomes more relaxed as he listens to SCP-7044's sounds.

Dr. Tesario: Thank you. That concludes the test.

D-7139: Wait, what?

Subject: D-3598

Researcher: Dr. Rosalyn Tesario

Forward: Subject had previously been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. Dr. Tesario wanted to observe how he would be affected by SCP-7044. Subject was placed in the same room as the previous test, where he was seated in front of the carrier holding SCP-7044. A hammer, crowbar, and knife were laid out on the table in front of the seat.

A guard was placed in the room, and secretly given orders to terminate D-3598 if he showed any signs of hostility toward SCP-7044.

<BEGIN LOG>

Dr. Tesario enters, holding a clipboard

Dr. Tesario: You are D-3598?

D-3598: Yeah. What do you want?

Dr. Tesario: You sound… frustrated.

D-3598: What gave you that idea?

Dr. Tesario: Your tone of voice, body language, all suggests feelings of anger. Is something troubling you?

D-3598: Is something troubli- I was told I could get a reduced sentence if I agreed to do some tests but nobody said nothing about no invasive surgeries or weird monsters. I just want to live to see my release!

Dr. Tesario: That must be quite difficult. Don't worry, this test won't harm you.

D-3598: Really? I find that hard to believe. You wouldn't be bringing me in here if it wasn't something dangerous.

Dr. Tesario: D-3598, would you please open the carrier?

D-3598: This carrier here? Alright, let's see what's inside.

D-3598 opens the carrier. SCP-7044 hops out, chirping enthusiastically.

D-3598: Um… what's going on here?

Dr. Tesario: Pet the bird.

D-3598: What? I ain't petting no stupid bird.

SCP-7044 delivers a chirp.

D-3598: You can shut up you stupid little bastard! I don't need you. I'm done here.

Dr. Tesario: I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave until the test is finished.

SCP-7044 chirps again.

D-3598: Why you little-

D-3598 stands up, grabs the crowbar and lifts it into the air. The guard draws her sidearm. Dr. Tesario signals for her to hold fire. D-3598 freezes in place. He drops the crowbar.

D-3598: I can't do it. Why can't I do it?

D-3598 falls into his chair and begins crying. SCP-7044 flies onto his shoulder. D-3598 slowly puts a finger on SCP-7044's head and gently strokes it.

D-3598: What have I done?

Dr. Tesario: I told you this test wouldn't harm you.

<END LOG>

Subsequent psyche evalutation of D-3598 revealed he had developed feelings of empathy, and expressed guilt over previous acts of cruelty. CT Scan of D-3598's brain revealed several neural pathways had formed since interacting with SCP-7044.

Subject: D-2554

Researcher: Dr. Rosalyn Tesario

Subject was told he had been assigned the duty of feeding an unidentified creature of the Keter Class. Dr. Tesario fitted D-2554 with a heart monitor, under the guise that it was a neccessary precaution for approaching the entity. D-2554 was escorted by armed guards into the same room as the previous tests, and instructed to take SCP-7044. Subject was told SCP-7044 was the food he needed to deliver. D-2554 was then escorted by two armed guards to another part of the facility.

Results: D-2554's heart rate increased while being escorted to the room containing SCP-7044. It was continuing to increase after being presented with SCP-7044. However, by the time D-2554 reached the location allegedly holding the non-existant anomaly, D-2554's hearrate had been decreased to 75 beats per minute.

Subject: One housecat

Researcher: Dr. Rosalyn Tesario

Test chamber was divided by two chain-link fences with a distance of 15 centimeters between them. Subject and D-XXXX were inserted into opposite sides of the chamber through separate entrances.

Result: At 30 seconds into the test, subject noticed SCP-7044. SCP-7044 immediately noticed the threat and stood approximately five centimeters from the fence. At one minute, subject began pacing, apparently trying to find a way around the fence. SCP-7044 stood silently in place. At 1:30, SCP-7044 opened her beak and emitted a soundwave that produced enough force to tear through both fences. Upon impact, the cat was thrown backwards and shattered against the wall. SCP-7044 immediately returned to a docile state.

Subject: 5 housecats

Researcher: Dr. Rosalyn Tesario

Two new chain-link fences were set up. All five cats were released onto one side of the chamber and left for five minutes. SCP-7044 was then released into the opposite side.

Result After 35 seconds, the cats began to notice and attempted to converge on SCP-7044, though they were blocked from doing so by the fence. SCP-7044 stood five centimenters feet from the fence, only moving her head to look at the cats.

At 1:20 SCP produced a massive soundwave that shattered both fences and launched all five cats into the wall. This instance was even louder than the previous test, launching the subjects at a speed of approximately 75 miles per hour.

Attempts to replicate the sonic attack on D-class were unsuccessful. All attempts to provoke SCP-7044 produced similar results to D-3598.

Dr. Tesario determined that this attack was used exclusively against cats, and SCP-7044 was harmless- even beneficial- to humans. She subsequently wrote a report outlining potential therapeutic uses for SCP-7044 and requested transfer to a medical facility for testing. This request was approved.

Addendum: Medical Use

SCP-7044 was brought to Site 42, a medical facility for personel undergoing physical and mental trauma. Since arriving, SCP-7044 has helped boost the morale of recovering patients.

The following are reported observations of SCP-7044 adapting to the activities of patients. Due to patient confidentiality, all names have been ommitted.

Activity
Result

Drawing
Patient struggled to find a good subject, before deciding to draw SCP-7044. SCP-7044 immediately agreed to be a model, and was directed by the patient into an artistic pose. SCP-7044 managed to remain still in the time it took to produce a line sketch. Upon completion, SCP-7044 delivered an excited chirp before picking up a pencil in her beak, with which she produced a crude drawing of the patient.

Weight lifting
Patient visited the gym accompanied by SCP-7044 and selected a bench press. SCP-7044 immediately perched on top of the barbell and began producing a series of encouraging chirps. Higher sounds on the barbell being lifted suggested enjoyment of being moved up and down. At one point, the patient began to struggle, feeling unsure if he could keep going. In response, SCP-7044 flew over to a nearby barbell, wrapped her feet around it, and lifted it roughly a meter above the ground. The sight of a chickadee lifting something significantly larger than its own body weight astounded the patient and helped encourage him to keep working out.

Swimming
Patient had developed severe aquaphobia after losing a close friend to SCP-242. Subject arrived at the facility's pool and managed to put a foot in. SCP-7044 responded with a soft chirp, As the patient took another step, SCP-7044 delivered increasingly enthusiastic chirps. Despite not being able to swim, SCP-7044 remained on the deck, making noises that appeared to be intended as a "cheer."

Music
Patient had experience playing the guitar. After requesting one from the administrator, he spent time practicing and played a song for SCP-7044. In response, SCP-7044 started chirping in tune with the patient. SCP-7044 also figured out a way to produce rhythm by pecking at the ground. Patient made a request for a small drum, which SCP-7044 enthusiastically played with her beak. Working together, the two produced an original composition that was performed for the facility.

Chess
Patient explained the rules to SCP-7044, who appeared to quickly grasp how each piece moved. Patient moved first to demonstrate a basic Chess move. SCP-7044 flew onto the board, landing behind a pawn and pushing it two squares forward. Patient played three successive games with SCP-7044, who developed a better understanding how to play each time. By the third game, SCP-7044 had developed an understanding of advanced Chess techniques.

Addendum: Updated Information

Since the initial report, nine other birds have been identified which display traits identical to SCP-7044.

Though the anomaly appears to be confined to avian life-forms, it does not appear to be bound by species or gender. The original SCP-7044 has now been reclassified as SCP-7044-0.

Currently-Recorded specimens include:

SCP-7044-1 Male budgerigar

SCP-7044-2 Male wood duck

SCP-7044-3 Female mourning dove

SCP-7044-4 Female adelie penguin

SCP-7044-5 Male European robin

SCP-7044-6 Female leghorn chicken

SCP-7044-7 Male cockatiel

SCP-7044-8 Male toucan

SCP-7044-9 Female ostrich

Due to spacial concerns, and the lack of danger posed by SCP-7044, no further specimens are to be collected at this time. However, any reported instances of SCP-7044 should still be investigated and observed in situ if possible.

Proposal for using SCP-7044 instances in other facilities is currently under review.

Footnotes

1. Dr. Tesario has theorized SCP-7044 might be able to produce sound at different frequencies according to what will resonate with the brain of any given patient.

2. Birds cannot perceive glass, which has created a problem of them crashing into windows.