Birds native to the planet Arkaria whose mating habits are a favourite subject of Commander Hutchinson, and which give Picard his excuse to slip away in Starship Mine.
Arkarian water fowl live around the Starfleet base on Arkaria, close to the Remmler Array where starships are cleared of baryon particles. Their courtship is said to include elaborate dances, and visitors come to watch them at certain times of year.
They are discussed in the Next Generation episode Starship Mine. Commander Calvin Hutchinson, the base commander and a relentless maker of small talk, brings them up at his reception for the Enterprise senior staff. Data, who is studying the art of idle conversation, takes up the subject with enthusiasm and the two chatter happily.
The birds also come up when Picard learns there are horse trails on Arkaria. He hurries back to the ship for his saddle, which leaves him aboard when thieves posing as technicians arrive to steal trilithium resin.