Orange Bird

**The Orange Bird** is a Disney Parks character affiliated with the park mythos who comes from the Sunshine Tree Terrace dining-service

## Description

The Orange Bird is a small creature which resembles an anthropomorphic bird made out of citrus-material. It is unknown if the Orange Bird is a sentient piece of produce which resembles a bird, a bird which resembles a citrus, or a genetic-hybrid of fruit and ave.

The Orange Bird was primarily the colour orange with a yellow beak, feet and belly. The wings of this bird however were green with dark-green patterns resembling the veins of leaves while also being capable of flight. Similar plumage was located on the top of the Orange Bird's head, giving its head the appearance of an orange.

The bird is only ever shown partaking in a herbivorous (or more specifically frugivorous) diet, typically with citrus fruits. This might lend credence to the Orange Bird being an animal which resembles a fruit rather than an actual flora/fauna hybrid. The bird also was shown to partake in seasonal-migration, specifically to consume Floridian citrus fruits.

## History

### Background

The Orange Bird character formerly lived in the northern United States of America with it having a hyper-fixated love for consuming oranges. It is known that the species appears to have been documented in the Southern United States since at-least 1938 by one Dr. Sid Truss.

By the 1940s it would later migrate south to Florida for its high quantity of oranges to eat, finding a home in the Sunshine Tree located in the city of Lake Buena Vista. The bird would come to be affiliated with the Sunshine Tree Terrace brand which was run by W.E.D. Enterprises, Incorporated to harvest oranges for the Bay Lake Produce Company.

In the 1960s, Orange Bird became the namesake for the, "Orange Bird Brand" of Citrus which operated out of the Sunshine Tree Citrus Groves.

### Development History

The Orange Bird was created for Walt Disney World to promote the Florida Citrus Commission which was a sponsor for the park.

## Appearances and allusions

### Disney Springs

There is a mural of the Orange Bird advertising Florida Citrus in Disney Springs outside of Erin McKenna’s Bakery. The mural is intended to be connected to Disney Springs' backstory with said mural being made to look aged. Outside of Dockside Margaritas, there are advertisements for the, "Orange Bird Brand" of citrus hailing from the *Sunshine Tree Citrus Groves* of Orange County. A figurine of the Orange Bird also appears on a shelf in twenty-eight and main.

### Magic of Disney Animation

The Orange Bird appears on a poster for a Minnie Mouse film called *Mouse Pacific* where it is seen flying over the Enchanted Tiki Room.

### Skipper Canteen

A book called *Native Orange Birds of the Southeastern United States* by Dr. Sid Truss appears in the library of the *Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen*.

### Sunshine Tree Terrace

A figure of the Orange Bird can be seen within this dining-service location. The bird can be seen atop a box of oranges taken from the Sunshine Tree of Florida.

### Trader Sam's

#### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

A large figure of the Orange Bird appears in the possession of Trader Sam within the Enchanted Tiki Bar. A note from Sam is tied to the figure's leg reading, "I traded for this because I thought it has appeal".

#### Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

In a case within this bar is a small figurine of the Orange Bird, positioned atop a book of Maori myth and nearby wood carvings of Lampie from Pete's Dragon (1977) and a sailor with a wooden leg, possibly implied to be Smith from Mary Poppins.

### Live appearances

The Orange Bird is a walk-around character in Adventureland, often being found outside of Sunshine Tree Terrace and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

### In Other Media

#### Comics

##### Disney Kingdoms

The Orange Bird is a supporting character in Disney Kingdoms: Enchanted Tiki Room where they spend time with the Tiki Birds of the Enchanted Tiki Room. In one story, the Orange Bird invites Saoirse Bullion-O'Callaghan (a member of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's Bullion family) to the Tiki Room island so she can bond with her father.

## Trivia

* Orange Bird is similar to the Citrikua from the Tropical Serenade in being a Disney Parks character created for the Sunshine Pavilion to promote the Floridian citrus industry.
* A possible eco-biological explanation behind the Orange Bird's appearance (assuming it is purely animal and not plant or plant-animal hybrid) is that due to the time it might have historically spent in orange trees for food and shelter, it adapted to resemble the leaves and fruit of the tree as a camouflage defence against predation.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/stt2.htm
2. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/09/new-post-worthy-orange-bird-inspired-wall-at-disney-springs/
3. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2018/05/the-caviar-of-citrus.html
4. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/galleries/2015/11/twenty-eight-main-boutique-now-open-in-marketplace-co-op-at-disney-springs-marketplace/
5. ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/Fun-Find-Friday-Minnie-Mouse-Posters-2.aspx
6. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/2019/11/16/disney-characters-you-may-not-know-orange-bird/
7. ↑ https://www.google.com/search?q=orange+bird+trader+sam%27s&client=safari&rls=en&sxsrf=ALeKk03Eq1cpUEsk284bMyoKUnMap73dZA:1610248993551&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjaror6tJDuAhVDT98KHXvtD3gQ\_AUoAnoECBEQBA&biw=1440&bih=837#imgrc=FgMvZogg8bhB\_M
8. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2016/02/all-in-the-details-exploring-trader-sams-grog-grotto/