(Listed more or less in order of appearance and by type)
INDOOR ANIMALS
Bunnies
Binky: stubborn dwarf Dutch troublemaker
Bertha: feral Netherland dwarf, captured in suburbia
Bertie: Netherland dwarf, brother to Rollo
Rollo: Netherland dwarf, brother to Bertie
Walter: large-headed Checker Giant, rescued from barn
Parrots
Ollie: ill-tempered brotogeris “pocket parrot”
Stanley Sue: gender-switching African grey Timneh
Dusty: chatty, author-biting Congo African grey
Other Birds
Howard: amorous ring-neck dove
Chester: non-hand-tamed canary
Elliott: feisty canary, successor to Chester
Farley: parakeet senior citizen
Rossy: Ollie’s female parakeet suitor
Reggie: Howard’s male parakeet suitor
Sophie: demure female parakeet
Tillie: visiting dove
Weaver: special guest starling
Cats
Penny: grey reclusive female, intended as Binky’s friend
Agnes: bold outdoorswoman, discovered under bird feeder
OUTDOOR ANIMALS
Ducks
Daphne: Muscovy from auto-parts parking lot
Phoebe: black-and-white Cayuga, smitten by wanderlust
Martha: Blue Swede with ear-splitting voice
Peggy: heroic call duck, protector of Chloe
Chloe: mallard who learned to limp
Blabby and Wing Ding: “smelly” call-duck delinquents
Stewart: Khaki Campbell, brother to Trevor
Trevor: Khaki Campbell, brother to Stewart
Marybelle, Clara, and Gwelda: unexpected mixed-duck offspring
Hector: cantankerous, shoulder-sitting Muscovy
Richie: Richmond Pond foundling
Timmy: unexpected son of Richie
Geese
Liza: lap-sitting African goose, sister to Hailey
Hailey: slightly less-friendly goose, sister to Liza
Turkeys
Hazel: victim of sneak attack
Lizzie: presumed perpetrator of sneak attack
And two that remain nameless
ORDINARY HUMANS
Bob Tarte: put-upon author
Linda Tarte: long-suffering wife to unfortunate author
Joan Smith: sister to victimized author
Rupert Murdoch: nonbillionaire duck breeder
Jacob Lestermeyer: operator of petting zoo/meat market
LuAnne Grady: owner of indoor orphan Green-Winged Teal
Bill Holm: mocking yuppie friend of pathetic author
Marge and George Chedrick: DNR-affiliated animal rehabbers
LETTERED HUMANS
Alanson Benedict, DVM: “So you’ve been bad-mouthing our practice.”
Katherine Stallings, DVM: prescriber of questionable ointments
Michael Hedley, DVM: amiable zoo-consultant genius
Alice Colby, DVM: doesn’t do turkeys
Owen Fuller, DVM: avian expert extraordinaire
John Carlotti, DVM: made Howard a collar
Carl Glaser, MD: “Do you hear voices?”