🐦 Bird Squad Guide - Abilities, Rescues & Growth

Your squad is your character sheet. Each Merlie has a specific ability, and the official launch announcement names the formula: "rescue lost Merlies scattered by the storm and combine their unique abilities to unlock new paths." More birds, more moves, more map. There is no leveling, no equipment, no skill tree outside the flock itself.

The storm that opens the game is the reason there is a game: it scattered the community across the land, and finding those lost birds is both the story and the mechanics. A rescue is never just a warm moment — the rescued bird joins the flock, the flock's combined abilities grow, and passages that were sealed on your last visit become routes. Expeditions and rescues are the same activity.

Official trailers and screenshots show three plumage variants — red birds (the most prominent, often leading climbs), a distinct blue bird, and pale cream-to-yellow birds — plus the rescued lost Merlies and the settlers who stay in the village. Individual birds have not been officially named yet, so this guide tracks them by plumage and will reconcile with the official roster after launch. The birds hub carries the full working bestiary.

Fragility is the squad's one weakness and the game's one rule. No enemies exist, but thorns, rocks, trees and long drops are real hazards, and the store text warns you to be careful not to lose one of your Merlies on the way. Regroup at ledges, move at the slowest bird's pace, and prefer the long safe route over the short clever one — the birds hub and the abilities hub both break this down per situation.