History Main / FeatherFingers

* WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Not only can the fish use their fins as hands, but they and other fingerless creatures such as sea stars, cephalopods and crustaceans can develop hands if need be.

See also CartoonyEyes, ToothyBird, MouthyBird, AnatomyAnomaly, and InvisibleAnatomy. Compare the far more common HumanlikeHandAnatomy, which is when the artist just draws the animal with hands instead of paws/hooves/wings to begin with. For, shall we say, a less family-friendly human-like anatomical modification of non-humanlike animals, see NonMammalMammaries...

* Big Eggo, an ostrich, the original cover star from ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' used this trope to try and appear more human. It didn't work, and the character was later replaced by a more human bear.

* In ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', the creations of [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau]] -- who are twisted parodies of existing FunnyAnimal characters -- are very anthropomorphic, but the plotline dwells heavily on how unnatural and physically painful it is for them to walk on their hind legs and imitate other human behaviors. Furthermore, the comic book was faithful to the source, as this is a major point of contention in the original novel as well.

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', Woodstock's wings work as hands. He can even type.
* Gary Larson liked to subvert this in ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', even though he was just as likely to play it straight based upon the RuleOfFunny.

* In a ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip Calvin and Hobbes start repeatedly zapping each other with a transmogrifier pistol for revenge. No matter what form each is in, he's still able to work the trigger -- the most extreme case being when Calvin is a ''flower'', apparently having prehensile leaves.

[[AsYouKnow You may have noticed]] that many non-primate animals have extremely un-humanlike limbs. They may have wings, they may have fins, they may have claws like a lobster or long grappling hooks like a sloth or hooves like a cow.

This is usually the very first step in a character/series' AnthropomorphicShift. It's just easier for animators to draw a character playing the drums or baking cookies using the body motions based off human references. It takes a hell of a lot of dedication to avert this trope, as it involves having to stop and really think about how the heck [[ComicStrip/BloomCounty a penguin could possibly manipulate a tuba]].

See also CartoonyEyes, ToothyBird, MouthyBird, AnatomyAnomaly, and InvisibleAnatomy. Compare the far more common HumanlikeHandAnatomy, which is when the artist just draws the animal with hands instead of paws/hooves/wings to begin with. For, shall we say, a less family friendly human-like anatomical modification of non-humanlike animals, see NonMammalMammaries...

* ''Animation/KungFuWa'': After Manipulens posseses a seagull he briefly wonders if he still has fingers when he sees the finger-like tips of his wings.

* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Travel Around the World'' episode 24, the goats travel to Argentina and meet some anthropomorphic birds who dance the Tango with them. The birds use their wings like hands to hold on to them.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Bishop Mozgus' [[OneWingedAngel stone angel form]] has an {{Exaggerated}} version: not only can his wingtips clench their feathers into fists as if they were fingers, but each of his wings' ''individual feathers'' can do this, which basically gives him dozens of fists with which to pummel Guts all at once. He doesn't practicularly need them for grabbing things since he still has his human arms too; the wing fists are just for RapidFireFisticuffs.
* Subverted with Tama the tiger in ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler''. Despite [[RuleOfFunny apparently being a certified boiler engineer]], Tama clearly has extreme difficulty in manipulating controls of any kind, or holding things without shredding them. Which is kinda funny since even big cats can sheath their claws. Usually only doing big stretches do claws automatically pop out.

** Post time-skip Franky averts this by having small hands extend from the palms of his much larger hands, which would be too bulky to do any delicate shipwrighting.

* In ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', the creations of [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau]] -- who are twisted parodies of existing FunnyAnimal characters -- are very anthropomorphic, but the plotline dwells heavily on how unnatural and physically painful it is for them to walk on their hind legs and imitate other human behaviors. Furthermore, the comic book was being faithful to the source, as this is a major point of contention in the original novel as well.

* Puss in Boots (and the other cats) in the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' series has normal cat paws, but with manual dexterity equal to that of a human.

* In Creator/TimothyZahn's ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology, the President of the New Republic is a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Calibop Calibop]], an avian sentient species with a number of equine features. They also have wings and prehensile feathertips; the President is shown manipulating keys on a lectern and later signing the Imperial-New Republic peace treaty with Pellaeon. Granted, this is pretty much the trope played straight with the caveat that [[BizarreNonhumanBiology Calibops are aliens.]]

* [[Literature/{{Babar}} Babar the Elephant]], of Jean de Brunhoff's stories, normally uses his trunk to manipulate things, much like an actual elephant would. However, Babar (and all the other elephants of Celesteville, for that matter) walk upright on two legs. This means that there are instances of them using their forelimbs like hands -- even though their "hands" look identical to those of quadrupedal elephants, completely lacking in fingers. How this is done is a mystery. Additionally, because they seem capable of using both their forelimbs and trunks to manipulate things, elephants in Babar's world effectively have three limbs that can be used to hold and handle things.%%De Brunoff's later stories, as well as the TV and film tie-ins take this a step further. Quadrupeds living along side the elephants, such as Lord Rataxes and the other rhinoceroses have hands with fingers. Since Rataxes' troops are typically [[CardCarryingVillain Card Carrying Villains]], they will often have claw-like hands. This is also true of hippos in Babar's world.

* ''TabletopGame/HcSvntDracones'': Most Avian [[BeastMan Vectors]] can form their leading feathers into hand shapes, but they're only good for body language. They do, however have actual hands on the inside of their wings.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'': In ''Franchise/TheLionKing'' level. As mentioned elsewhere, it is a perfect storm of FurryConfusion. Not least because we finally get to see what ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' looks like as a non-Anthropomorphic bird; he has functioning wings, can fly, and carries his staff in his claws. Usually he has [[http://i36.tinypic.com/30ur9rm.png very human-like hands.]] Likewise, when Sora becomes a non-Anthro lion ([[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy it is a long story]]), he carries the Keyblade in his teeth. In the "opening the next path" cutscene, Sora holds the Keyblade with his suddenly-prehensile tail in order to aim at the target.

* ''Creator/RandleSimRacing'': Sim race driver Daveybird Randle usually has human fingers to match his human body, but when he switches to his slightly-more-animalistic Cardinal form, he plays this trope straight, especially because of the steering wheel!!

** Decidueye takes it a step further, since it's not only drawing an arrow using its wingtip as a hand, the bow itself is the other wing, the bowstring is a vine-like leaf hanging from its shoulders, and the arrow is one of its own quills.

* This is apparently the case for the birds in ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'', as in one route it's a plot point that Dr. Shuu has an injury preventing him from using his right wing this way. However, an early translation of the free version had an error which said Shuu was using his left ''hand'' to [[spoiler:cut off the heroine's head with a cleaver at the end of his route]], leading to a minor meme of drawing or photoshopping him with unexplained human arms. That particular instance was changed to "wing" but at various points in the full game, and the sequel, "hand" is used again. In the manga everybirdie has feather fingers, so maybe "hand" just means the end of the wing to them.

* In ''VisualNovel/MinotaurHotel'', P[[spoiler:edro]] the peacock has feathered hands. Its not clear if they are feathers or normal digits covered in feathers, with some sprites implying either.

** In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mickey Mouse|2013}}'', Donald, Daisy, and the other ducks have have armlike wings with pointed feather tips for fingers.

* Dr. Zoidberg on ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' is an lobster-like alien with claws for "hands". Generally he's about as clumsy as you'd expect, occasionally even snapping things he's trying to hold in two. He does manage to write without too much trouble, and in a couple instances actually ''holds a needle and sutures a wound''. That's probably just RuleOfFunny, or simply years of practice. (If you had pincers all your life, you'd pick up a few tricks over time.)

** Mostly averted with the Road Runner: he carries things with his feet instead of his wings, but he holds signs in his wing as if it was a hand.

*** A pegasus's wings, when not used for flying, function similarly to a thumbless hand, in that they can manipulate objects (like opening a saddlebag) or support body weight (the rather odd "wing push-ups" some pegasi were seen doing in "Hurricane Fluttershy"), but can't seem to actually grasp things, unless they wrap nearly an entire wing around it. Later seasons do this more extensively, so much as to include actions similar to hand gestures.

* Played with in ''Manga/ChisSweetHome'' and ''Chi's New Address'' with the cats. Normal shots of their paws don't show any thumbs, but thumbs show up in close up shots and when they're trying to catch or grasp something. The cats in this anime and manga use their paws like cats normally use their paws rather than like human hands.

* A odd case in ''Webcomic/{{Melonpool}}'': Sam T. Dogg is a telegraphic dog with no thumbs for most of webcomic with funny jokes, but suddenly had thumbs at one point with lampshading about lack of such in past.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': The show taking place in a world of FunnyAnimals, all the ducks (and everybody else, for that matter) have arms and hands.
* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' sometimes did this, especially in the earliest cartoons. He normally walks around on all fours, with very dog-like paws, but when a zany scheme is involved, he stands up on his hind legs with no difficulty, and thumbs mysteriously appears on his front paws.

* In ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the titular duo's hands looks like paws when walking on all-fours.

* Standard for birds in ''WesternAnimation/AlfredJKwak'', unless they're holding something or wearing shirts. The titular alfred's wings shift between clear hands and stump wings whenever the situation calls for it (the default being stump wing until he needs to grab something), and the same happens to other waterfowls, Ollie the stork, and Dolf in his teen design where he had clear wings instead of clear hands.

* In ''Peanuts'', Woodstock's wings work as hands. He can even type.

* ''VideoGame/StarFox'': While Falco Lombardi plays this trope straight as can be, it's especially noticeable since he appears to be the only avian character in the WorldOfFunnyAnimals setting, with everyone else being mammals or reptiles with [[HumanlikeHandAnatomy human-like arms]] [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy and legs]] (even [[PigMan Pigma Dengar]], who should have hooves). Conversely, this is largely averted with the pterosaur-like [=CloudRunners=] from ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', whose wings lack grasping fingers entirely and are used solely for flying.

* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'': The farmerjay evolves a crude grasping mechanism from the alula and a fleshy pad on the wrist of its wing, allowing it to handle its offspring and the snails it instinctively farms for food.

* ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': There are multiple avian neopets that appear to use their wings as hands, namely the Lenny and Pteri. Painting them Transparent, which makes gives them a plastic-looking outer body that reveals their skeleton and internal organs, reveals that [[http://pets.neopets.com/cp/jbbxks69/1/7.png Pteris]] play it straight, having more realistic wings while still being able to hold objects, but [[http://pets.neopets.com/cp/3zv3mbmb/1/7.png Lennies]] [[SubvertedTrope subvert]] it by having actual hands that just ''strongly resemble'' big feathers.

* ''WebOriginal/{{Neopets}}'': There are multiple avian neopets that appear to use their wings as hands, namely the Lenny and Pteri. Painting them Transparent, which makes gives them a plastic-looking outer body that reveals their skeleton and internal organs, reveals that [[http://pets.neopets.com/cp/jbbxks69/1/7.png Pteris]] play it straight, having more realistic wings while still being able to hold objects, but [[http://pets.neopets.com/cp/3zv3mbmb/1/7.png Lennies]] [[SubvertedTrope subvert]] it by having actual hands that just ''strongly resemble'' big feathers.

* The pigeons in ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}'' surprisingly avert this. Even when gesturing, their wings still move like real wings, and they tend to investigate or manipulate objects with their beaks.

* Averted -- for the most part -- with the fish in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''. Not so much with Nigel the pelican. His primary feathers are fully rendered in extreme detail, so they are practically a LampshadeHanging on how odd this looks.

* ''Literature/DrFranklinsIsland'' averts this, though it appears at first that it's going to play it straight. Miranda Fallow, turned into a bird, has wings with a look of hands to their tips, but those are just feathers. She has to manipulate things with her feet and beak.
* Averted in ''Literature/SummerInOrcus''. The narration makes a point of mentioning that Reginald Hoopoe's wings aren't manipulatory appendages; his feet double as hands instead.

* While Falco Lombardi from ''VideoGame/StarFox'' plays this trope straight as can be, it's especially noticeable since he appears to be the only avian character in the WorldOfFunnyAnimals setting, with everyone else being mammals or reptiles with [[HumanlikeHandAnatomy human-like arms]] [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy and legs]] (even [[PigMan Pigma Dengar]], who should have hooves).
** Conversely, this is largely averted with the pterosaur-like [=CloudRunners=] from ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', whose wings lack grasping fingers entirely and are used solely for flying.
* A rather unusual subversion takes place in the videogame ''VideoGame/GodzillaUnleashed''. Both [[OurDragonsAreDifferent King Ghidorah]] and [[WeCanRebuildHim Mecha-King Ghidorah]], who both just happen to be three-headed dragons, use two of their heads/mouths as arms/hands to pick things up. Likewise, [[GiantFlyer Rodan]] just picks things up with his talons. Then again, this is in line with some of the films, in which Ghidora's heads are essentially hand puppets.
* The penguins in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' have no fingers. So in the quest where you have to teach them to make music (for the National Anthem, no less), you have to make instruments that do not require fingers. You end up with a cowbell and a bongo.
%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * Another very strange example is ''Franchise/TheLionKing'' level of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. As mentioned elsewhere, it is a perfect storm of FurryConfusion. Not least because we finally get to see what ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' looks like as a non-Anthropomorphic bird; he has functioning wings, can fly, and carries his staff in his claws. Usually he has [[http://i36.tinypic.com/30ur9rm.png very human-like hands.]] Likewise, when Sora becomes a non-Anthro lion ([[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy it is a long story]]), he carries the Keyblade in his teeth. In the "opening the next path" cutscene, Sora holds the Keyblade with his suddenly-prehensile tail in order to aim at the target.
* Averted with [[OminousOwl Lechuku and Nechkuku]] in ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}''. While their outfits do have kimono-style sleeves for the wings, they also have a set of more humanoid arms for holding their weapons, and one of their attacks involves them grabbing Amaterasu with their hindclaws like a normal owl.
* Alternately averted and played straight with Kazooie. In the ending of ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', she has no trouble holding a mug. In ''Banjo-Tooie'', however, the lack of proper hands is a gameplay element, as she cannot hang from ledges or climb ropes (then again, she can fly, so...) In ''Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts'', this goes back to being played straight, as Kazooie holds a wrench for most of the game.
* [[EmbarrassingFirstName Pecker]] in the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series might be a justified example, as he is a MixAndMatchCritter known as a "monkaw," a monkey/macaw hybrid.
* Sim race driver Daveybird Randle from ''Creator/RandleSimRacing'' usually has human fingers to match his human body, but when he switches to his slightly-more-animalistic Cardinal form, he plays this trope straight, especially because of the steering wheel!!

* Averted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth'', where the bird Gajuma combine humanoid arms and hands with wings.
* You might think that, since the animal villagers can send you handwritten letters, this trope would be in full force in ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'', but not quite. In ''New Leaf'', Pete the postman...uh, postpelican mentions how sloppy the animals' handwriting is, and notes that most of them don't have opposable thumbs. When avian characters hand you things most of them make do with their wings (or flippers in penguins' case) just like horses and ungulates work with hooves.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** Averted with the Rito in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', which have humanoid arms, hands and fingers that they use for holding things. They fly by magically transforming their arms into wings, and it's outright stated Rito are not born with wings, instead they're a gift from the local dragon.
** The Rito that appear in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' play it straight. It depicts Kass clearly playing an accordion with his feathered fingers. Meanwhile, Revali and Teba are shown to be proficient archers, and the latter even gives a feathery thumbs-up in the middle of flight no less.

* Averted with the bird characters in ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum'', who cannot use their wings as hands; instead, they use magic to create hands around their wings' alulae.

%%* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' where the character George (a moose) is drawn [[HumanlikeHandAnatomy with human hands]] instead of hooves, just like all the other characters.

* Yankee Doodle Pigeon from ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'' mostly averts this as well. He's usually seen flapping his wings as he flies.

* In ''[[Animation/TheMindsEye The Gate to The Mind's Eye]]'' segment "Nuvogue" submission "Laser Broadway", there are dancing birds. Their wings appear to be as versatile as human hands. They can be seen holding {{UsefulNotes/LaserDisc}}s[[note]]"Laser Broadway" was originally a [=LaserDisc=] commercial, that's why[[/note]], microphones, playing guitars, even throwing hats. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as the birds are MechanicalLifeforms. And [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything they don't even attempt to fly]].

** Conversely, this is largely averted with the PteroSoarer-like [=CloudRunners=] from ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', whose wings lack grasping fingers entirely and are used solely for flying.

* Done with a variation in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' movies. The characters don't have any appendages ''at all,'' yet they manage to write, paint, operate machinery, and hold things. This is usually done with a combination of prehensile antennae, prehensile windshield wipers, or clamps.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' has mixed uses of this trope. Ducks and geese are able to use their feathers like fingers, but Crane (the crane) has realistic wings and uses his feet and beak to move objects. [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2 Lord Shen]] (a peacock) is a combination of the two, using both his wings and his feet at times.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'': Scuttle is one of the TropeNamers, having Feather Fingers that look like hawk's wingtips (even though he is a gull), which he gestures and carries a "dinglehopper" and other human items with.

* Puss in Boots (and the other cats) in the three ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' sequels and [[WesternAnimation/PussInBoots in his own movie]] has normal cat paws, but with manual dexterity equal to that of a human.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing''.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * Another very strange example is ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'' level of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. As mentioned elsewhere, it is a perfect storm of FurryConfusion. Not least because we finally get to see what ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' looks like as a non-Anthropomorphic bird; he has functioning wings, can fly, and carries his staff in his claws. Usually he has [[http://i36.tinypic.com/30ur9rm.png very human-like hands.]] Likewise, when Sora becomes a non-Anthro lion ([[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy it is a long story]]), he carries the Keyblade in his teeth. In the "opening the next path" cutscene, Sora holds the Keyblade with his suddenly-prehensile tail in order to aim at the target.

* Somewhat related is one of the major criticisms directed at ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet''. The result of using motion capture footage of humans to animate penguins tap-dancing [[UncannyValley ends up very strange, due to the wildly different anatomy]].

* The [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins penguins]] in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' have no fingers. So in the quest where you have to teach them to make music (for the National Anthem, no less), you have to make instruments that do not require fingers. You end up with a cowbell and a bongo.

* Played with in ''Manga/MonsterMusume''. Papi the harpy can grab and hold things with her wings -- which have small thumbs -- but it's stated a couple of times that they're still much less dexterous than actual hands (for example, she can't use chopsticks).

* In ''WebOriginal/MultituberculateEarth'' some flying multituberculates have HairWings that extend along their fingers, [[https://multituberculateearth.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/commission__feathered_mammal_by_diegooa_del0l8r-fullview.jpg?w=1024 giving this impression]].

* Downplayed in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'', where Beatrice (a talking bluebird) frequently gestures with her wings as if they were arms [[spoiler:(probably out of habit, since she used to be human)]], but never tries to use them as hands.