Not to be confused withQuawks.

Squawks
Artwork fromDonkey Kong Bananza
Full name	Squawks the Parrot[1][2]
Species	Parrot
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest appearance	Donkey Kong Bananza (DK Island & Emerald Rush) (2025)
Member of	Void Company (DK Island & Emerald Rush)

“Squawks is the bird with the word on findingPuzzle Pieces!”

—Funky Kong,Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Squawks is a green-feathered parrot and anAnimal Friend who first appears inDonkey Kong Country. He frequently assistsDonkey Kong,Diddy Kong, and the otherKongs on their journeys. Squawks also has a related purple variant namedQuawks, who appears inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest andDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

History[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

Squawks is anally inDonkey Kong Country. He appears in only one level,Torchlight Trouble. Hisanimal crate appears at the start, and when Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong break it open, Squawks begins to follow the Kongs through the dark cavern. Squawks is about half the size of the Kongs, and he carries a bright lantern with his talons and uses it to light up the surrounding area, which enables Donkey Kong and Diddy to see a bit of the path ahead. Squawks is the only Animal Friend who cannot be mounted and not to have an associatedanimal token and its own corresponding area.

Early in the game's development, Donkey Kong was meant to use a mining helmet in "dark levels," and he is depicted wearing it intwopre-release promotional renders.^[3] At another point, Donkey Kong was going to be assisted by Hooter, an owl who would illuminate dark areas with its night vision.^[4] Both concepts were eventually scrapped and replaced with Squawks.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

Squawks carrying the Kongs in Bramble Scramble ofDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Squawks not only has a much larger role, but he was also made larger, around the size of Diddy andDixie Kong. Squawks no longer carries a lantern around, but he can instead carry the Kongs with his talons and fly them around. Squawks can attack enemies by spitting out an unlimited number of eggs. In some levels, the Kongs can ride Squawks after freeing him from hisAnimal Crate. In some other levels, the Kongs can directly transform into Squawks by jumping into anAnimal Barrel. In both cases, the player can control Squawks until he passes theNo Animal Sign. Squawks can fly around faster when transformed into, because he is not slowed by carrying the weight of the Kongs. Squawks does not fly away if he gets hit by an enemy or obstacle, but instead drops a Kong from his talons. He first appears in the levelSquawks's Shaft, which also features his name in the title. Squawks also fightsKing Zing at the end ofKrazy Kremland, in the boss levelKing Zing Sting, and Squawks is the first Animal Friend in theDonkey Kong Country series required to fight a boss, let alone fight one. In the second half ofScreech's Sprint, Squawks racesKaptain K. Rool's pet bird,Screech.

In one of the quizzes ofSwanky's Bonus Bonanza, the player can guess "Squawks," "Squeaks," and "Flapper" when determining Squawks's name.

Level appearances

• Squawks's Shaft
• Bramble Blast
• Bramble Scramble
• Target Terror (Bonus Level)
• Parrot Chute Panic (Bonus Level)
• Windy Well (Bonus Level)
• Castle Crush
• Toxic Tower
• Screech's Sprint
• Animal Antics

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

Squawks in the Springin' Spiders level ofDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Squawks is an ally inDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. He is largely unchanged from his previous appearance inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, although he has a different hurt sprite in the original SNES version (although his hurt sprite from the previous game is also present, but unused). However, Squawks is less common because he only appears in five levels, and two of them are only within aBonus Level:Springin' Spiders,Low-G Labyrinth's second Bonus Level,Pot Hole Panic,Stampede Sprint's second Bonus Level, and lastlySwoopy Salvo.

Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D /HD)[edit]

Squawks' updated design inDonkey Kong Country Returns

InDonkey Kong Country Returns, itsNintendo 3DSport, and itsNintendo Switchport, Squawks is an item sold for 15Banana Coins atCranky Kong's Shop. He instead costs five Banana Coins in the port-exclusive New Mode and Modern Mode. When equipped, Squawks appears on a tree branch at the bottom-left corner of the screen in a level. He yells whenever a undiscoveredPuzzle Pieces is nearby, helping the player find them. Squawks can also find switches in levels of theFactory world, which are needed to open the path to the levelLift-off Launch. In silhouette levels, Squawks is not rendered in silhouette. Multiple instances of Squawks are redundant, so while the player can equip more than one item for a level in New Mode and Modern Mode, they cannot equip more than one Squawks. Cranky Kong says Squawks is a friend of his and that he helps find his keys.

Additionally, while selecting worlds or theCloud Gateway on theisland map, Squawks circles around the world the player is hovering over. Starting with this game, Squawks has two backwards-pointing toes just like a real parrot, whereas in previously-released games he was portrayed with only one.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

Squawks returns inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and itsNintendo Switchport with the same purpose as inDonkey Kong Country Returns and sporting the same design, albeit slightly updated with his feet now colored yellow instead of white. He can be purchased fromFunky's Fly 'n' Buy for 10 Banana Coins (5 in Funky Mode in the Nintendo Switch port).Funky Kong's dialogue indicates that using the Squawks item is only calling Squawks for a level, not that Donkey Kong owns Squawks and sends him out for a level. Squawks also helps Funky Kong find his keys.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle[edit]

Squawks the Parrot with his flashlight inDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle.

In the 1995 novelDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, Squawks the Parrot makes an appearance within the interconnecting caves of several snow-capped mountains.Donkey,Diddy andCranky Kong become trapped in the darkness of a large cave after an avalanche, while on their way toBig Ape City. Donkey Kong has the idea to call Squawks for help by crying out at the top of his lungs. Several minutes later, Squawks appears carrying a flashlight, and he agrees to show the Kongs the quickest route through the mountain. Squawks brings them to the cave exit which is closest to Big Ape City. After the Kongs thank Squawks, he returns to the caves and the Kongs proceed to the city.

Club Nintendo[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

Squawks meets the Kongs in "Donkey Kong Country".

Squawks appears in the second part of theClub Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong Country" as an ally of Donkey and Diddy Kong. He is given to them byCandy Kong at herSave Point, and he brings them to a cave. Inside, the Kongs get attacked by aKritter. With the help of Squawks, who uses his torch to project DK’s shadow onto the wall, the Kongs scare the enemy away. After this event, Diddy and DK leave Squawks and proceed.

Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24[edit]

In "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24", a comic published in the same magazine, Squawks is seen conducting an "automatic parrot wake-up service" to get the Kongs off their palms in the morning. He uses a microphone and speakers to tell a joke. Diddy calls Squawks a "dumb parrot" and claims that he is telling the same joke every morning.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]

According toSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars monster designer Kazuyuki Kurashima, the parrot onValentina's head is a homage to Squawks.^[5]

Donkey Kong Land series[edit]

Squawks's sprite inDonkey Kong Land 2 (left) andDonkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (right)

Squawks appears in the last two installments of theDonkey Kong Land series:Donkey Kong Land 2 andDonkey Kong Land III, based on his appearances inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest andDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! respectively. In both games, Squawks can only be transformed into from entering aSquawks Barrel, as neither game allows the Kongs to ride any Animal Friends, due to Animal Crates being removed. Squawks andQuawks have the same sprite due to theGame Boy's monochromatic screen.

InDonkey Kong Land 2, Squawks only appears in five levels, one of them being exclusively in a Bonus Level:Squawks's Shaft,Bramble Blast's second Bonus Level,Bramble Scramble,Toxic Tower, and lastlyScreech's Sprint. InDonkey Kong Land III, Squawks appears in seven levels, one of them similarly being only in a Bonus Level:Minky Mischief,Miller Instinct,Redwood Rampage,Ugly Ducting,Kuchuka Karnage's second Bonus Level,Rainforest Rumble, and lastlyGhoulish Grotto.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Squawks inDonkey Kong 64

Squawks is an ally inDonkey Kong 64. He first appears in the opening cutscene, informingDonkey Kong that hisGolden Bananas were stolen byKing K. Rool. During the adventure, Squawks has various roles: he provides instructions to the Kongs at different parts of their journey. Squawks also carries a lantern in some subterranean locations, a role taken fromDonkey Kong Country. This is the first game where Squawks talks, and he opens most of his dialogue with "Squawk!" and ends them with "Bwark!". Some cutscenes show more than one Squawks. InDK Isles, if the Kongs play on someMusic Pads, Squawks rewards them a Golden Banana. AtAngry Aztec, whenTiny Kong shrinks to herMini-Monkey size and plays on a Music Pad, Squawks shows up to carry her into a tower where she races theBeetle. InFungi Forest, there are two more opportunities for Tiny to ride Squawks: first inside of a tree to get a seed and secondly to reach the top of a giant beanstalk. Unlike theDonkey Kong Country games, Squawks cannot carry any of the Kongs while they are at regular size.

Picross NP Vol.8[edit]

Squawks makes a cameo appearance inPicross NP Vol.8 as one of the images that must be cleared.

Donkey Konga series[edit]

Squawks makes a cameo appearance inDonkey Konga 2 andDonkey Konga 3 as one of the characters whose artwork appears inFreestyle Zone while the player plays theDK Bongos.

Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]

A Squawks has a very minor appearance in the opening cutscene forDiddy Kong Racing DS where it gives a letter to Diddy fromTimber to inform him ofWizpig's invasion ofTimber's Island.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast[edit]

Squawks appears as a commonred balloon item inDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast. A racer can send out Squawks to target the racer in front of them. When Squawks makes his way to a player, he hovers around them for a short amount of time: the racer cannot useWild Moves while this occurs. Squawks attacks the racer whenever they attempt a Wild Move, causing them to lose tenbananas. Squawks has a longer attack duration if he is summoned by aKong instead of aKremling.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Squawks only appears in twoSuper Smash Bros. games, both in the form of an item. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Squawks appears as atrophy, and inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, he is an Advanced supportspirit, which removes fog or poisonous clouds from certain spirit battles.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

Squawks Park Street

InSuper Mario Odyssey, one of the roads inNew Donk City is called "Squawks Park Street".

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]

In theDonkey Kong Adventure story ofMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of Donkey Kong'sBwananarang weapons, theLaw of the Macaw, is designed after the appearance of Squawks the Parrot. The weapon's description jokingly states that "enemies are about to learn a serious lesson courtesy of the school of hard Squawks".

Tetris 99[edit]

InTetris 99, Squawks appears in the background of theDonkey Kong Country Returns HD theme, which was released alongside the 45th Maximus Cup.

Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]

Squawks inDonkey Kong Bananza

While Squawks did not originally appear inDonkey Kong Bananza, he reappears in theDK Island & Emerald Rush DLC. A flock of Squawks, along withQuawks, are seen flying aboveDK Island. After completingEmerald Rush for the first time, Donkey Kong can pay Squawks at Squawks's HutBanandium Chips to find astatue orgold. When playing Emerald Rush on a different layer,Void Kong will talk to Donkey Kong andPauline through a walkie-talkie held by a Squawks (nicknamed theSquawkie-Talkie). On DK Island, several Squawks can be found at different areas of the island. If interacted with, Donkey Kong can have the option to reset the statues to their initial positions.

When the DLC is installed before beating the main game, Squawks can be found in theRacing Layer. By talking to him, Donkey Kong relives the memories being on DK Island before the game's main story. During this, Donkey Kong can return to the Racing Layer by talking to any Squawks. After beating the main game, the Squawks in the layer will disappear.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Squawks is the one animal that you cannot ride, but he is helpful nonetheless. You can find him in the darkest cave level. Once you release him, he will hold a flashlight that will help light your path. Because he is so essential to success in this darkened level, he's not too hard to find when you need him.^[6]

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Squawks's role in Diddy's new adventure is much more important. Rather than just carrying a flashlight, he can now lift both Diddy and Dixie for high-flying adventures. Squawks can also spit eggs at enemies if you press the button.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    He can fly, but he's no lightweight! The egg-spitting Squawks returns from previous adventures to lift Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong to higher ground! Squawks hasrelatives who can pick up barrels with their claws and bomb the baddies below.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country Returns[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Squawks will help you locatePuzzle Pieces.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

• Wii U electronic manual bio:Alerts you when a puzzle piece is nearby by squawking. You can take one Squawks with you for each level.
• Official Facebook page of Nintendo Australia and New Zealand:
  The best thing about Squawks is he can help you find even the most deviously hidden puzzle pieces in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
  He would certainly come in handy when you can't find your keys in the morning…^[7]

Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]

• Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual description:
  • English:
    Press to fly. Press to fire eggs at enemies.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Hops on the opponent in front of you and prevents them from using Wild Moves. (Boost: The effect will last longer.)^{[page number needed]}

Super Smash Bros series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

Trophy Squawks

Category: Series Related

How to unlock: Random

Squawks has filled more roles than most animal friends. Remember when he carried a much-needed light through the caves? Or when he carried the Kongs over danger? Good times, good times... Lately Squawks has helped by letting you know when Puzzle Pieces are near. So helpful!(American English)

Whether lighting their way in the dark or carrying them through the air, Squawks the Parrot is a reliable ally of Donkey Kong and co. Lately, he's taken to sitting on branches and letting his friends know when there are puzzle pieces nearby. Quite the little helper!(British English)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Spirit #152 Squawks
	Series/game	Donkey Kong Series
	Type	Support
	Slots	2
	Class	Advanced
	Strength / effect(s)	Fog Immunity
	How to obtain	World of Light (The Light Realm);Spirit Board
Spirit battle	Opponent(s)	Duck Hunt
	Conditions	Rule: Fog The stage is covered in fog Timed battle
	Stage	The Great Cave Offensive
	Song	Ice Cave Chant

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Squawks.

• 

  Donkey Kong Country

• 

  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

• 

  Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong

• 

  LEGOSuper Mario

• 

  The Super Mario Bros. Movie concept art

List of appearances[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

• Squawks has the most appearances of any Animal Buddy in the series, despite Rambi often being the most prominent in the series' promotional artwork and related material.
  • Relatedly, he is one of only two Animal Buddies to appear in all three games of the original SNES trilogy, the other being Enguarde.
• Squawks is mistakenly referred to as "Squawk" inCreate-N-Send A Donkey Kong Country Family Portrait.

References[edit]

• Parrots
• Animal Friends
• Playable characters
• Club Nintendo
• Diddy Kong Racing characters
• Donkey Kong 64 characters
• Donkey Kong Bananza characters
• Donkey Kong Bananza statues
• Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast items
• Donkey Kong Country characters
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest characters
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! characters
• Donkey Kong Country Returns characters
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze characters
• Donkey Kong Land 2 characters
• Donkey Kong Land III characters
• LEGO Super Mario characters
• Super Nintendo World characters
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophies
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits

• Articles with sources lacking page numbers
• Articles with unsourced foreign names