“Clearly this is a test for me. Yes, the powers-that-be want me to go out on my own. Once I overcome many hardships, I shall be one step closer to superstardom!” Birdo Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Birdo, self-referred to as Birdetta[1] and the shorthand Birdie, and known in Japan as Catherine (キャサリン Kyasarin), is a recurring character in the Mario franchise. Her first appearance was as an enemy in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was rebranded as Super Mario Bros. 2. Since then, she has appeared in various spin-off series of the franchise, and her original role as an antagonist has gradually been scrapped in favor of a newer role as an ally. Birdo has also been merchandised into figurines, plush toys, and amiibo cards.

Birdo is part of an entire species, of which other members appear in several works where the central character Birdo does not, including the Mario Strikers games and several episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. 2 Birdo's debut appearance in

Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 2 Mario fighting Birdo in theversion of

The first appearance of Birdo is in Super Mario Bros. 2, serving the evil villain Wart. She appears as a boss character in many levels, with the exception of the third level in the first three worlds, as well as the first level of the fourth. Birdo comes in three colors: Pink Birdo[2] shoots eggs from her snout, Red Birdo[2] shoots eggs and fireballs, and Green Birdo[2] shoots fireballs. In the NES version, Green Birdo also appears as gray in World 7-1.

Birdo generally walks back and forth, facing the player character and spitting three projectiles at a given time. To defeat her, the player has to jump on her eggs or another object and throw them back at her. However, if Birdo is green, the player is required to throw Mushroom Blocks instead. Birdo often holds a Crystal Ball, with two exceptions: Pink Birdo's appearance as a standard enemy in World 4-3, and a Red Birdo room in World 7-2, in which Birdo relinquishes a key needed to get to the Mask Gate leading to Wart. Birdo is shown physically holding the ball in the NES version of Super Mario Bros. 2 and in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, although this is harder to see in the latter due to the crystal ball not having the animated red line. In remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2, it instead flies from her snout upon defeat.

The Super Mario Bros. 2 cast roll mistakenly labels Birdo as Ostro (and vice versa), an unrelated enemy.

Super Mario Advance

In Super Mario Advance, a Game Boy Advance reissue of Super Mario Bros. 2, there is also a robotic Birdo boss named Robirdo, who takes over Mouser's position as the boss of World 3. Super Mario Advance is also notable for being one of the last games to give Birdo understandable voice acting, as further games would simply allow her to emit honking noises. In this game, Birdo speaks clear sentences such as, "This is as far as you go!" and "Well, hello there!". She is portrayed by Jen Taylor. The other Birdos voices vary slightly depending on their color: The red versions have a slightly lower pitch then link, whilst the Green versions have the lowest pitch. Both Red and Green Birdos have different dialogue lines. In addition, the voice used for Robirdo has a slight robotic filter for obvious reasons. This could imply they are separate individuals, though Green Birdo's line, "I'm ready for you this time!", could potentially imply her being an altered version of a prior Birdo. In this version, the player can steal Birdo's bow, making her resemble her original NES sprite, which has a much smaller bow.

The aforementioned cast roll mixup with Ostro and Birdo is fixed in the localization of Super Mario Advance.

BS Super Mario USA

In the Satellaview special BS Super Mario USA, Birdo first received a speaking role, though it is mostly lost due to the broadcast nature. Taking place sometime after Super Mario Bros. 2, the pink Birdo and her red and green friends, now depicted as separate characters, again serve Wart and invade Subcon. Birdo is fought in the same way as in the predecessor, though this time Birdo may appear randomly and invincibly fly at the player. She can also throw multiple eggs in the air and sometimes can throw bigger ones. Like Wart and Mouser, Birdo appears frequently as a card on the screen and can cast spells to switch the player character or change enemies into bombs. In the end, Birdo and her companions lose again against Mario and friends, although it is said that they would receive better treatment in the future. The voice actors for Birdos, and her friends are all okama, a Japanese term for men who act and dress like females, furthering the franchise-long running joke about Birdo's ambiguous gender.

Super Mario Maker

Birdo appears as a costume in Super Mario Maker. She is unlocked by completing the NES REMIX (Super Mario Bros. 2) event course. Her appearance in the game is slightly based off of Super Mario Bros. 2. The sound effects used are also taken from this game: her transformation sound is the Mushroom power-up tune, falling into a pit or lava plays the "lose a life" tune, and clearing a course plays the theme when the player beats a level. Pressing causes her to wink at the camera while a heart appears above her.

Super Mario Maker 2

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Birdo appears in the sequel, Super Mario Maker 2, as of the version update 3.0.0, where her original sprite flashes on-screen when the mini-boss trigger is activated while under the effects of the SMB2 Mushroom. The music that plays is the generic boss theme from Super Mario Bros. 2.

Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up

In the coloring book game Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up, the coloring page for Zoo Keeper features Birdo in a cage. The description for the job is as follows: "Mario the zoo keeper think's he's one lucky fellow. After all, not many zoos in the world have such unusual creatures as Birdo, Tryclyde and Pidgit."

Wario's Woods

Wario's Woods Birdo in the SNES version of

Birdo makes her first reappearance in the Mario franchise since Super Mario Bros. 2 in Wario's Woods, a puzzle game released for both the NES and the SNES. Birdo serves as a primary heroine in the game as she assists Toad and the Sprite. Throughout the game, the trio go up against Wario as he sends out the monsters of Wario's Woods.

Although Birdo is not playable (as she appears only in the top right corner of the screen), she aids Toad (the main hero) by providing him with encouragement and as a look out for Wario throughout the rounds. Birdo will also shout instructions and encouragement to Toad from the corner. If Toad takes too long to complete a level, Wario would grab Birdo, replace her, and cause trouble for Toad. After Wario’s timer is up, Birdo returns, and continues to help Toad. The round ends once Toad defeats all the enemies. The instruction manual for this game calls Birdo "Catherine", which is her original Japanese name.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Birdo in

“Oh, I'm never gonna let ya go. You're just too... CUTE!” Birdo , Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Birdo appears as a boss in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Birdo is first seen as an egg named Shelly who is found in Nimbus Castle (while the stronghold was under the control of the usurper queen Valentina). The egg is cared for by a Shy Away, who intended to use the newborn Birdo as a weapon. When the Shy Away sees Mario, he quickly abandons his post and flees, leaving Shelly exposed. Mario could then speak to the Birdo inside Shelly, who would request for Mario to play with her. If Mario complies, a battle between his party and Shelly would begin.

Although Shelly never attacks or performs any malicious moves toward Mario and friends, the group could gradually split the egg open to reveal Birdo. She then would introduce herself and start attacking. After suffering more attacks from Mario and company, Birdo would also raise her attacking methods, beginning to shoot out the explosive Eggberts rather than normal eggs.

Depending on a turn, in which Birdo shoots out, Eggberts would actually fling the explosive eggs back into Birdo's nest, where they could be attacked so that they would explode and deal massive damage to Birdo herself. Despite the pain and anger she shows ambiguous signs of going through, Birdo eventually gives up mid-battle due to the fact that she found Mario and his friends too cute to destroy. After being defeated, she gives the key to Mario. Birdo remains within Shelly and Mario gets to the back door of Nimbus Castle.

Mario Tennis series

Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)

Mario Tennis Birdo in

Birdo eventually appears in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, making her sports game debut. She appears next to Yoshi, and the two are seen to be very affectionate. In this game, Birdo competes as a speed player. In the intro of Mario Tennis, Birdo is seen entering the court after Paratroopa, and loses to Princess Peach in the tournament (allowing the latter to move on to a semi-finals match against Luigi). Later, she is seen with Paratroopa and Yoshi, when Bowser interrupts the fun. Her own court can be unlocked when the player wins the Star Cup with Birdo in doubles. Also, when the player chooses Daisy in the double tournament mode, Birdo would be her default partner. When two players play as Birdo, the color palette changes to blue with a magenta ribbon. This is the first game to introduce Birdo's emblem, which is her ribbon. This is also the first game to ever give Birdo comprehensible voice acting. She is portrayed by Jessica Chisum.

Mario Tennis Open

Though Birdo herself does not physically appear in Mario Tennis Open, one can unlock a suit of her for customizing their Mii with. It can be unlocked by winning a match against an Ace computer in Exhibition mode. Her racket is also purchasable for use by Miis.

Mario Tennis Aces

Mario Tennis Aces Birdo as she appears in

Birdo appears in Mario Tennis Aces as a playable character, where she is available as a participation prize for the October online tournament or from November 1, 2018 in the game's version 2 update. Birdo's emblem is also seen on a bag available as a preorder bonus for Mario Tennis Aces in Japan. Her Trick Shots are "Perfect Pose" for forwards and "Cheerful Step" for sideways. Her Special Shot is referred to as the "Airlift Extravaganza", which features Birdo blowing a kiss before being tossed up in the air by Fly Guys with pink stars, dots and hearts surrounding her and her shot.

Mario Golf series

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

Birdo swinging a golf club

Birdo appears as a playable character in the game Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where she receives her current design. In this game, she appears from the start. Her medium size makes her a balanced character. When playing as Birdo and getting a nice shot, her swing consists of a rainbow. This is actually very similar to the Yoshi golf swing. This game is the first game in which Birdo uses a rainbow ability. This is also the first game to feature Kazumi Totaka, Birdo's current voice actor.

Mario Golf: World Tour

Birdo appears as an unlockable playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour. She is unlocked after 55 Star Coins are collected in Challenge Mode. Her general stats make her balanced overall, having average control and a fade trajectory. She hits relatively high making it easier to avoid obstacles, but her shots more affected by wind. Her driving distance is 212 yards, while her star driving distance is 267 yards. Birdo enters the golf course kissing her golf club, and celebrates a nice shot by hugging her club. When she gets a par, she wiggles her finger and flicks it, and when she gets a birdie she blows kisses and makes poses. Her eagle, albatross, and hole-in-one animations show her kissing the camera, causing it to fall down. If she gets a bogey, she starts crying but then applies more makeup to pretend that nothing is wrong. If she gets worse than a bogey she shoots eggs at the camera but gets knocked back by her eggs. She makes an appearance in the Castle Club in the females' changing room where she gives the player tips about handicap and perfect strokes. She also appears in the game's second introduction, being the only unlockable character to do so. Miis can use her clubs and ball, as well as receive golf clothing based on her from the shop or by entering tournaments. Her costume is won if a Character Costume challenge is completed.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Birdo reappears as her two-dimensional Super Mario All-Stars sprite on the Super Mario Bros. 2-based stage, Mushroom Kingdom II. Sometimes, Birdo comes out from the side of the stage and shoot eggs, hurting any player who comes in contact with them. Like in Super Mario Bros. 2, these eggs could be jumped upon and picked up by the playable characters. Birdo can easily be destroyed by a strong attack, however. She also appears as a trophy that can be collected at random; doing so will unlock the Mushroom Kingdom II stage.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the names that can appear whenever players press the random button when they are naming their custom stage is "BIRDO". Also, a pink Birdo appears as a trophy. Unlike in Super Smash Bros. Melee, however, this trophy is not two-dimensional. It can be unlocked when the player clears All-Star on Hard difficulty.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Birdo's trophy in

While Birdo does not appear in the 3DS version, she does make an appearance in the Wii U version as a trophy. It can be unlocked by clearing a solo 3-Minute Smash after getting 100 or more KOs while playing as Mii Gunner. It depicts her winking and standing near a Birdo's Egg. The trophy also features information about her appearances in Super Mario Bros. 2 and Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.

Despite having appeared in many other games, Super Mario Bros. 2 is the only title listed in Birdo's game appearances. Other characters usually have two titles listed.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Mushroom Kingdom II stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and by extension, Birdo reappears as well in her original sprite from Super Mario All-Stars.[3] Birdo also appears as an online profile icon and Ace-class Grab-type primary spirit, taking up two support slots. The spirit can be summoned using a T-Rex and Starly core. Birdo's spirit artwork is from Mario Party 7.

Mario Kart series

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Birdo and Yoshi racing on Yoshi Circuit

Birdo's first appearance in the Mario Kart series is in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as Yoshi's default partner. After the player unlocks the second wallpaper, Birdo is teamed up with Peach. Birdo's special item is the Birdo's Egg, which differs from Yoshi's attack in that it has pink spots instead of green. The egg is also different from Birdo's original pure white eggs. Birdo's unlockable kart is called the Turbo Birdo, which features average speed and acceleration, while also having above average weight. Her emblem appears throughout the Dry Dry Desert course, and the staff ghost uses Birdo and Yoshi in the Turbo Yoshi. Yoshi and Birdo are also the staff ghost of Yoshi Circuit, using the Turbo Yoshi kart. In-game, Birdo's bow is smaller than it is regularly.

On Mushroom City and Yoshi Circuit, there are signs posted that read "Ribbon". In much smaller letters in the center, it reads "Birdo watching", a pun of birdwatching. They feature a picture of Birdo posing. Yoshi Circuit and the posters reappear in Mario Kart DS, and are Birdo's only appearance in the game.

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2

Birdo is not playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, but she makes a cameo in signs and in the crowd when the player receives a trophy.

Mario Kart Wii

Birdo later appears in Mario Kart Wii as a middleweight, unlockable character. Birdo has an equal balance of weight, top speed, and acceleration. However, when she goes off-road, she loses a moderate amount of speed. She is unlocked when the player defeats 250 other players in online racing, when the player does Time Trials on 16 different courses or when the player plays 1,350 races. Birdo shares the medium-sized group of karts and bikes, but all in her own favorite colors, like purple and magenta. Birdo receives a small weight and off-road boost, while her best bonus is the mini-turbo stat. Birdo's mini-turbo is tied with Diddy Kong's, while being inferior to that of Koopa Troopa, Dry Bones, Wario, and Dry Bowser. Birdo's mini turbo can be used with the Wild Wing and the Mach Bike to make it the strongest mini turbo in the middleweight class. Birdo is the only playable character, besides Miis, that isn't used as a staff ghost. Furthermore, Birdo is the only playable female character that does not receive a speed bonus.

This marks Birdo's most recent physical appearance in the Mario Kart series, making her, Diddy Kong and Funky Kong the only playable characters in Mario Kart Wii to not return as playable characters in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Despite Birdo herself not physically appearing in Mario Kart 8 nor Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a picture of her along with Peach and Daisy appears on some of the Women of Racing Organization banners seen on N64 Royal Raceway. Birdo is also mentioned on the speakers in Sunshine Airport.

Mario Kart Tour

After an 11-year hiatus of not physically appearing in the Mario Kart series, Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour from the start of the Holiday Tour on December 18, 2019, along with the Turbo Birdo.[4] She is classified as a Super character, and her Special Item is the Birdo's Egg; while functionally identical to the Yoshi's Egg, it now uses a white, spotless design. Some of her voice clips are reused from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. Like all other unique characters, she has her own cup.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Birdo helps the heroes by disguising herself as Princess Peach when Cackletta and Fawful visit the Mushroom Kingdom. When Cackletta attempts to steal the princess's voice, she gets Birdo's instead. Then, when the Beanish witch tried to use the "pure" voice to awaken the Beanstar, it went berserk. All of this is not revealed until later in the game, when Toadsworth and Peach explained the situation to the Mario Bros. As they spoke, Birdo appears and starts wildly chasing two of Lady Lima's Peas, after winking at them flirtatiously.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Birdo in

Sometime later, Birdo replaces Bowser as Popple's "Rookie" out of her mad love for the Beanish crook. Oddly, she is now an enemy of the Mario Bros., even though she had been a helper before in the game. Birdo is a powerful opponent, as one of her attacks involves sucking in Mario or Luigi into her snout. If Birdo is successful in this, it will not only hurt the unfortunate Mario Bro. she sucked up, but will also restore her own HP. The only way to dodge this attack is to hit Birdo with a hammer as her target is drawn near. She can also spit out flaming eggs in a wild, sporadic way. Mario and Luigi must time their jumps to avoid the eggs and the resulting flame each of them creates after their impact. Birdo can also inhale Popple to place him inside one of four protective but deadly egg shields. One egg holds Popple; the other three each contain Bob-ombs that will rush forward after their egg is broken open and need to be jumped over. The main difference between Birdo's and Popple's first Rookie's attack patterns, however, is that Birdo won't counterattack the Mario Bros. if they attack Popple first, making them both easier to defeat. Birdo, however, becomes stronger after Popple has been beaten, as she turns red and says "You may have defeated my darling, but that's as far as you go!" In this state, her attack power is much higher and she now targets both bros. with her egg attack instead of just one and does it much faster.

After Popple and Birdo fail in their attempt to destroy the Mario brothers, Popple blames it all on Birdo and even goes as far as to fire his latest apprentice. Birdo responds by furiously knocking him away through a wall and ending their relationship. She then gives a short speech about her new dedication to strive towards super-stardom, expresses her anger at Mario and Luigi, and runs away. Although Cackletta stole Birdo's voice, she is still able to speak when Mario and Luigi battle her and Popple. This appears to be an error in the game, but Birdo may have gotten her voice back after Cackletta used it on the Beanstar.

Birdo returns in the Nintendo 3DS remake, with the same role as in the original game. Birdo also appears in Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, in the level Popple's Partner, Part 2. At the beginning of the level, she is found in line to audition to become Popple's partner. She then fights Captain Goomba's squad alongside Popple. She fights as a regular troop in the level's last wave (where Popple is the captain), and is a ranged enemy. After they are defeated, Birdo drags Popple away.

Mario Baseball series

Mario Superstar Baseball

In Mario Superstar Baseball, Birdo makes her first appearance on the baseball field. She is a balanced character, who has a slightly above average batting stat, but is below average in other stats Her special pitch/hit is the Weird Ball, when the player purchases the Pink Egg in the store from the Challenge Mode, Birdo is able to use her special move. Her other special moves include Suction, which allows her to catch balls distances away from her, much like Yoshi's Tongue Catch, and Body Check which allows her to attack players on the base when timed right. She is found on Yoshi's team as a unlockable sub-captain, and can also be chosen as a captain in Exhibition Mode. Her alternate names are: Birdo Models, Birdo Beauties, Birdo Bows and Birdo Fans. Birdo shares good chemistry with Yoshi, Shy Guy, and Petey Piranha, and she does not share bad chemistry with anyone.

Mario Super Sluggers

Mario Super Sluggers Birdo executing her special move in

In the sequel, Mario Super Sluggers, Birdo takes up her role as a team captain, but still does not have her own stadium. Compared to the predecessor, Birdo gets a good boost in her batting and fielding skills, along with a small speed increase. While still being a weak pitcher, she has great stamina and a strong throwing arm. Her close play attack involves her turning to the side and knocking the player away with her waist. Her Star moves include the Cannon Swing and Suction Ball. Birdo has good chemistry with Daisy, Yoshi, Petey Piranha, Shy Guy, and Toadette, and bad chemistry with Tiny Kong, Peach, Wario, Waluigi and Blooper. Birdo also appears in the Challenge Mode, where she is stuck in a nearby tree, and the rainbow bridge that leads to her is currently down, so the player will have to tackle Bowser Jr. to restore it. He will challenge the player to a minigame of " Piranha Panic!." After Bowser Jr. is defeated, the player can climb the rainbow bridge and speak with Birdo to add her to the team.

Mario Party series

Mario Party installments Birdo's emblem in theinstallments

Mario Party 7

Mario Party 7 Birdo's appearance in

In Mario Party 7, Birdo is a secret guest of Toadsworth, who resides on the Duty Free Shop. She is one of the two new characters, the other being Dry Bones. They join up to go on a luxury cruise around the world. This is the first game in the Mario Party series with Birdo as a playable character. She is unlocked with 1,000 mileage points on the Duty Free Shop. In this Mario Party installment, Birdo's default partner is Yoshi in the "Team Mode" (their team orb being the Egg Orb).

Mario Party 8

In Mario Party 8, MC Ballyhoo and Big Top invited Birdo and her friends to the Star Carnival. In this game she appears as a playable character from the start and her automatic partner is Yoshi. Their team name is "Egg Explosion". When Birdo emerges victorious from the Star Battle, she is crowned the Superstar and wins a year's worth of candy. This applies to the other characters, too.

Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher

She also appears in the Japan-exclusive arcade game, Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher, as a playable character.

Mario Party 9

Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Party 9, helping Mario and the gang get the Mini Stars back from Bowser to put them back in the sky. Her Star constellation is called "Egg Thrower", which is purchasable at the Museum for 50 Party Points.

Mario Party: Island Tour

Birdo appears in Mario Party: Island Tour as a non-playable character. Here she is a judge in the minigame The Choicest Voice.

Mario Party Fushigi no Challenge World

Birdo also appears in the Japan-exclusive arcade game based off of Mario Party 9 called Mario Party Fushigi no Challenge World as a playable character.

Super Mario Party

Birdo appears in Super Mario Party as a non-playable character. She gives out information about the previous Mario Party games, even saying that she was a previous playable character herself when she was younger, as well as advice as to what the player is doing throughout the game and hosts regular quiz sessions. She also gives out her own stickers for use in the Sticker Gallery and the golden oar to the player to use in River Survival after receiving them. The British English and Italian versions of the game refers to Birdo as male, while most other versions refer to her as female. The French and Chinese versions use ambiguous genders instead.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Birdo's art for

Birdo is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, playing alongside characters from the Final Fantasy series. She is unlocked when the player finishes the Hard Mushroom Cup with a bronze rank. Here she is an all-around type and her Special Shot is the Egg Shot. She begins by spinning around twice. Later, Birdo catches the ball in her snout, jumps, and spits it out toward the basket as an egg. To perform this move, the player must tap out an upside-down triangle twice. Once again, Birdo still does not have her own stadium, but she appears along with Yoshi in one of the screens of the Mario Stadium.

Itadaki Street DS

She is also playable in the Japanese game Itadaki Street DS, a crossover with Dragon-Quest. To unlock Birdo, the player needs to defeat her in Luigi's Stage Level 1. Birdo's head and clothings are collectibles that can be equipped on customizable characters.

Mario & Sonic series

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Birdo, along with Donkey Kong, Silver the Hedgehog, and many others, were originally going to appear as playable characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games[5], but were scrapped from the final product for unknown reasons.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Birdo in

Although Birdo is not a playable character in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, she appears as a VIP member: a character who watches the player in certain events, and if found, awards them with 100 points. It is possible for the player's Mii to wear a Birdo costume, once Birdo is found in an event her character suit is available in the shop for 100 points. She also has a sticker available for use on the player's equipment.

In the Adventure Tours mode on the DS version she is seen in Cubyrinth. Yoshi loses his drift board but luckily Birdo has found the item. When the player goes to her she says she has found a drift board. Yoshi tells her that the board belongs to him, but she says otherwise. Birdo claims that the drift board is for an elite athlete, so Yoshi must prove himself before she can give him the item. She challenges in Ski Cross Racing. Once defeated, she gives up the drift board and stays in Cubyrinth, available for rematches.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Birdo in

Birdo appears as one of the rivals to defeat in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She is found in the London Party mode and must be faced in the 100m Freestyle event, and later in Badminton with a blue Birdo. She also appears regularly around the map, giving out gossip or challenging the characters with a pop quiz. She also retains her Mii costume from the previous game. Despite Birdo being a recurrent character in many games, this is the first one to give her a theme song.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Birdo appears in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as a rival in the Legends Showdown mode. Birdo is found in Area 1, and faces off against the player, alongside three other Birdos, in Ice Hockey. Birdo's theme from the previous installment returns, as well as her Mii costume.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Birdo makes her first playable appearance in the Mario & Sonic series in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but she is only playable in the 3DS version, where she is exclusive to the Archery event. Her stats are strong skill and stamina with average speed and above average power make her a generally balanced character. She plays a main role in "Road To Rio" as she challenges the player on day 4 of Sonic's story in Archery. She also hosts some training sessions.

Birdo appears in the Wii U version, but she is not playable, instead appearing by the sand statue where the Heroes Showdown multiplayer mode can be chosen. Her Mii costume also reappears. Her stats are the same as in the 3DS version, but her power has weakened and her speed has went up. This also compensates to the colored Birdos in Football and Duel Football.

Captain Rainbow

Captain Rainbow The Cute Home as seen from outside in

The Cute Home as seen from inside

In the game Captain Rainbow, Birdo is a damsel-in-distress. She lives on Mimin Island, in the so-called Kawaii Ouchi, or Cute Home. It is located on a remote place of the island. The Cute Home represents Birdo's personality and her likings: the interior consists of mostly pink and red equipment decorated with many heart and ribbon emblems.

In the game, Birdo is imprisoned for using the female bathroom, as the robot jailer does not believe her when she insists she is a girl. She gets quite upset about this, and asks Nick to go to her Cute Home and find something that will prove she is not lying. Nick finds a mysterious object under Birdo's pillow (which is blurred out, though it is implied to be a vibrator), it serves its purpose and Birdo is released.

Birdo develops a crush on Nick, and calls him her "boyfriend". Nick accompanies her in her walks near her Cute Home, and she helps him carry a fallen Star to the altar on the top of Mimin Island. If Nick lets Birdo's wish be granted, she flies into the sky with the Star and disappears.

Fortune Street

Birdo returns as a playable character in the Wii follow-up to Itadaki Street DS, Fortune Street. She is available from the start and her rank is once again a D. In Tour Mode, Birdo is faced on Yoshi's Island and Alefgard.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

“Heart of a woman, heart of a man.... Both can know of love's grace....” Birdo Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Paper Mario: Sticker Star Birdo in

Birdo makes her Paper Mario series debut in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Here, she appears in the level of W4-1: Snow Rise, on a giant swing as Mario comes to a cliff and hits a nearby tree. She will perform to him a short serenade and then give him the Goat, also warning Mario not to "get egg on [his] face" upon swinging away.

Birdo later shows up at the parade at the end of the game. She is shown in the three-minecart-chain with two Shy Guys for the Bowser's Snow Fort section of the parade winking at the player.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

“Two hearts in doki doki panic. My heart Flutter Jumps.” Birdo Paper Mario: Color Splash

Birdo appears in Paper Mario: Color Splash. She holds a concert in Plum Park, accompanied by dancing Koopa Troopas, before an audience of Shy Guys, Mario, and Huey. Her song lyrics reference her original Japanese debut game (Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic), as well as Yoshi's Flutter Jump ability.

She also appears during the Balloons Thing animation, where she blows a kiss to the enemy to send them flying away. Birdo also appears during the credits slowly moving on her moon.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Birdo appearing in the coffee shop alongside several Snifits

Birdo reappears in Paper Mario: The Origami King, where she first appears falling into the spring in Whispering Woods after Mario pulls on a nearby tree tug. Birdo later appears in Big Sho' Theater for a performance on the second stage. During the act, two Paper Macho Koopa Troopas fight over her while Mario battles them. In the coffee shop at the Spring of Rainbows, Birdo will appear if Mario chooses the special, where she blows a heart into his mug.

Mario Sports Superstars

Birdo participating in horse racing

Birdo is playable in Mario Sports Superstars. She is a Balance type character in most sports, giving her well-rounded stats. Her stats are similar to Yoshi, but in soccer her finesse is higher, and in baseball and golf her power is stronger. In tennis, though, she is instead a Speed type player as in her previous appearance in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. Her speed allows her to run around the court quickly, but her power and spin are only average. In golf, her default drive is 217 yards, and her shots travel medium-high in a fade trajectory. Her emblem is once again her ribbon. Her special boost in horse racing is magenta and has sparkles and a bird tweet following it. Her special shot in baseball and soccer is similar to horse racing, but in baseball the ball is encased in a Birdo's Egg. Like all playable characters, Birdo receives five amiibo cards for each sport from the game's series of amiibo cards. All her cards reuse artwork from previous games except tennis, where her artwork is new. When players tap in Birdo's cards, they receive jewel-themed gear that Birdo can optionally use, though the gear is only for aesthetic purposes. Players can also use jeweled gear for Birdo if they have unlocked it through purchasing randomly-packed digital cards.

Other appearances

Kirby series

Birdo makes an appearance as spectator in the minigame "Megaton Punch" from Kirby Super Star.

Mario's Tennis

Birdo's Japanese name "Catherine" (though romanized as "Cassarin") can be found within the game files of Mario's Tennis, implying she was originally intended to be playable.

Mario Tennis (GBC)

While Birdo herself isn't in Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color, she makes a cameo in game when the N64 Transfer Pak is used.

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

While Birdo herself does not appear in Mario Golf: Advance Tour, she is mentioned on the score chart during tournaments, and appears when the GCN cable is linked to the GBA.

Yakuman DS

She is one of the opponents to defeat in the Japanese game Yakuman DS. She is generally balanced with skill being her best stats. She can be found on easy and normal challenges.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

In the pre-release build of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Birdo was referenced on courtside banners by her Japanese name, "Catherine".

Minecraft

Birdo is featured as one of the Mario-themed character skins in the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, available in versions of Minecraft released on Nintendo systems.

Personal information

Physical description

Birdo's current appearance

Birdo is a member of the species of the same name, a race of prehistoric[6] birds[7] with funnel-shaped mouths and a body structure similar to a Yoshi, though slightly shorter and with a row of three spikes on the tail, not the head. In several early illustrations, she is depicted as being orange instead of pink, and on the cover of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, she is depicted with distinct nostrils midway up her snout and what appears to be a tongue in her mouth, though neither of these traits has ever been shown again. In the various iterations of Super Mario Bros. 2, her snout ends with a small hole and is somewhat barrel-shaped, inverting while it is open; later games, however, use the latter shape in all situations, likely due to looking that way in her original artwork.

Birdo is mostly pink, with a rounded belly, red tail spikes and purple spots on her cheeks. She has purple eyes, each of which is framed by three long, thin eyelashes. She does not have hair, and instead wears a big red bow atop her head, which is usually her emblem. She has small but pointed claws, with four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. More recently, a large diamond ring set in gold is occasionally depicted on her left hand. She has a white belly like a Yoshi, as well as white-padded feet.

Since Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Birdo commonly wears purple eye makeup. In her team name, "Birdo Bows", from Mario Super Sluggers, she wears lipstick, which is odd because she does not use lipstick during the game, nor in most of her other appearances. In the Japanese commercial for Super Mario All-Stars, she wears a white stole, a very expensive-looking black dress adorned with a black necklace with many pearls, and a very elegant fan[8]. Overall, however, Birdo’s looks have not changed as drastically as many other characters have through the ages.

Personality and traits

Mario Party 8 Birdo posing and winking in her artwork for

Birdo displays great determination and confidence in all aspects of her life. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Birdo revealed her goal of becoming a Superstar. Birdo has tackled a wide variety of sports and was the first known Birdo to emerge in the public spotlight in Mario Tennis.

Birdo is somewhat vain, as she perceives herself to be very beautiful and feminine, and often strikes eccentric poses to show off her appearance. Also, she is portrayed to be very friendly, and enjoys being with the whole Mario crew. This is shown when losing a round of 18 in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Golf: World Tour. She also exudes charm and elegance as shown in many games whenever she wins or appears on-screen, where she waves and blows kisses frequently. Additionally, Birdo always wears a massive diamond ring on her finger. In Mario Party 7 and Mario Party 8, when Birdo gets a Star, she shows off this ring during one of her poses. According to Play Nintendo, Birdo's favorite things are (in no partcular order) friends, big red bows, and sparkly things.[9]

Always looking for love, Birdo has had a variety of crushes and relationships throughout her life. Birdo is very flirtatious and affectionate with others, even when she does not know them very well, as evidenced in Fortune Street where her dialogue is very playful, flirty and endearing. This is also seen in Birdo's relationship with Popple in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga where she expresses her high opinion of love and romance, explaining her flirtatious nature and drive to find love. The effect of these whirlwind romances on Birdo have only been hinted at in her Egg Shot move in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, which sends broken hearts flying; this is a stark contrast to Princess Peach's Heart Shot.

Powers and abilities

Birdo's signature ability is shooting eggs from her mouth.

In addition to eggs, Birdo has also shown the ability to utilize her snout in a manner similar to a vacuum, using it to suck things closer to herself or even swallow them; Birdo displays this ability in both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the latter of which also has her leeching away the health of those she sucks up. On occasion, Birdo has enveloped people, including herself, in large eggs, in order to increase defense. She is often classified as all-around in sports games, where she has a great deal of strength. She also has shown this strength when angered in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, when, after discovering that Popple did not actually love her, she knocked him right through a wall, indicating she has super-strength, as well in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers where her strongest stat is batting.

In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, hitting a nice shot while playing as her will cause a rainbow to form similar to Yoshi, but rainbow abilities have since then not been seen. Birdo also has some hints of heart based power similar to Princess Peach as shown in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour in her victory cut-scene and Mario Hoops 3-on-3 in her special shot. However, they are not as strong or as useful as Peach's hearts. This often has comedic results, such as when they only succeed in charming Birdo's Golf trophy into the air for a short time until it fell down again, to its owner's great surprise.

Gender

Mario Kart 8 Birdo on a "Women of Racing Organization" banner in

According to the North American instruction manual of Super Mario Bros. 2 (pg. 27)[1]:

He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called "birdetta"[sic]

This statement applies to all translations of the title. Throughout the official guide, Birdo is also consistently referred to as a "he"[7]. In Japan, Birdo is portrayed as a male who believes she is a female and prefers to be called by a nickname, "Cathy", rather than her real name "Catherine"[10]. As recently as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Birdo's trophy description describes the character as "gender indeterminate", and uses the pronoun "it" rather than gender-specific pronouns such as "he" or "she", which has sometimes been used in other occurrences[11].

In games for the Japanese-only Satellaview, Birdo is consistently shown as an okama, a Japanese term for a male who acts extremely feminine, but does not necessarily identify as one. In Satella-Q, a picture of Birdo is shown with a masculine, humanoid torso, while in BS Super Mario USA, all three Birdos are shown making typically feminine poses in the world title cards but are given deep voices, being voiced by actual okama.

However, Nintendo of America usually refer to Birdo as female. The feminity of Birdo is implied in Mario Kart 8, where she appears on "Women of Racing Organization" advertisements in N64 Royal Raceway, and in Sunshine Airport, the person in the speaker calls her "Ms. Birdo". This is contradicted clearly in the British English version of Mario Tennis Aces, where the Toad commentators use masculine pronouns to refer to Birdo[12], as well as in the British English version of Super Mario Party.

The confusion surrounding Birdo's gender has also been addressed in a light-hearted matter, such as when Popple pauses before settling on calling Birdo a "dame" in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and is also shown in the U.S. manual of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where all the female characters have a pink dot behind them, including Birdo. In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the first two lyrics of Birdo's serenade alludes to the gender confusion by saying Heart of a woman, heart of a man.... Both can know of love's grace.....

In the game Captain Rainbow, Birdo is heard with a deep, male voice which gets high-pitched when she gets angry or excited. Additionally, in the game's second trailer, Little Mac from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! speaks about Birdo, calling her a "young lady," only to take a short break and ponder. His final verdict is "Depending on one's view point, she is a young lady." In the game, Birdo's indeterminate gender also forms the basis for a side quest to find proof that she is a girl (which is found, but censored).

Relationship with Yoshi

Main article: Yoshi

Mario Party 7 Birdo with Yoshi in their team picture for

She has a special relationship with Yoshi, since they are often partners in sports and party games. Despite this, Birdo has never appeared alongside Yoshi in a Yoshi game.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the two are partners and share a similar Special Item. On the official Japanese site for Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the description for Catherine states she "appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?" (「ヨッシーの彼女に見えて実は彼氏!?」)[13]

In Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, they share a tennis court and are default partners; the two are seen to be very affectionate. In the Mario Baseball series, they share good chemistry with each other, and she is the Sub-Captain of Yoshi's team. The two also share the same Special Orb in Mario Party 7.

Profiles and statistics

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! information

Partner : Yoshi

: Yoshi Personal Kart : Turbo Birdo

: Turbo Birdo Special Item : Birdo's Egg

: Birdo's Egg Bio : "Birdo is decked out in her favorite bow and ready to race!"

: Bio 2: "You might be asking yourself who Birdo is. Of course, you'll be pondering this on the side of the road after Birdo's giant egg has crushed your kart."

Super Mario Advance information

Bio: "Watch out for Birdo's special egg attack. The best way to deal with Birdo is to catch the eggs and toss her right back."

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour information

Bio Quote : "I love to golf and now I want to play other golfers! Are you in?"

: Range Marker: 209y.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Birdo.

Quotes

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Japanese キャサリン

Kyasarin

あやしげなカラ (Super Mario RPG, Shelly)

Ayashigena Kara Catherine



Mischievous shell Spanish Birdo - French Birdo - Dutch Birdo - German Birdo - Italian Strutzi

Draghella From struzzo (ostrich, struzzi in the plural), probably because of the infamous mistake in the cast roll.

From drago (dragon) and the endearing female suffix -ella. Swedish Birdo - Portuguese Birdo - Russian Бирдо

Birdo Birdo Korean 캐서린

Kaeseorin Catherine Chinese (Simplified) 凯瑟琳[14]

Kǎisèlín Catherine Chinese (Traditional) 凱瑟琳[15]

Kǎisèlín Catherine

References