Avian entities recognized as Jubba birds existed as a non-sentient species that were native to the planet Dagobah's swamp regions. These avian creatures constructed their nests out of mud. They possessed the capability to manipulate the Force, a power they harnessed to induce calmness in other beings through their songs and to pacify their offspring when peril was imminent.
During the era of the Galactic Civil War, a select few smugglers managed to capture jubba birds from the Dagobah canopies, as their soothing melodies were highly valued across the galaxy. The Jedi master Yoda was serenaded by jubba birds during his solitary existence on Dagobah. Upon his death in 4 ABY, they clustered together in fear, sensing the release of the dark presence that the Jedi had been suppressing.
Jubba birds were a species of non-sentient avian creature characterized by two yellow eyes, a prominent brown or red feathery crest, and skin exhibiting hues ranging from purple-and-red to purple-and-brown. Their physical attributes included a pair of yellow wings, an elongated purple tail bifurcated at the end, and a set of slender brown legs terminating in feet with three clawed digits. They possessed a broad yellow beak featuring serrated edges on both mandibles, along with two nostrils situated on the upper mandible.
The planet Dagobah's swamplands served as the native habitat for jubba birds. They crafted substantial nests from mud gathered from Dragonsnake Bog, which caused the supporting trees to sag under the weight. Being natural Force-users, these birds were recognized for their calming songs. These were more than simple tunes, and could create a sense of calm in other creatures through subtle manipulation of the Force. This ability to manipulate other creatures aided in predator avoidance, as did the fact that they used it to quiet their young when danger neared. Jubba birds flew low enough above Dagobah's swamps to be within range of a dragonsnake rearing up from under the surface of the water to try and catch the bird in its jaws.
During the Galactic Civil War era, only a small number of smugglers were aware of Dagobah's existence. These individuals occasionally ventured to the planet to capture jubba birds, which were highly prized throughout the galaxy for their vocalizations.
Due to the perilous environment of Dagobah, the smugglers avoided landing on the planet's surface. Instead, they utilized their starships to snatch jubba birds from the upper reaches of the jungle canopy before departing. Despite these precautions, leaf-tails occasionally inflicted near-catastrophic damage to the smugglers' vessels by severing critical wiring.
During his time in exile on Dagobah, the Jedi master Yoda was not feared by the local wildlife, and jubba birds were drawn to sing to him in ways that the dragonsnake he named Bright-Eyes could not understand. On the night of Yoda's death in his home on Dagobah in 4 ABY, an unusual silence descended upon the nearby swamps as a dark presence that he had been containing was released.
The jubba birds huddled silently in the highest branches of the gnarltrees, too afraid to sing, which Bright-Eyes noticed, as it kept them out of her reach. Although not as sensitive to what was happening as the jubba birds, Bright-Eyes also felt the darkness spreading over Dagobah.
The initial mention of jubba birds within the new Star Wars canon occurred in the 2015 reissue of Journey Through Space, a book for young readers authored by Ryder Windham. Subsequently, they were depicted visually in the 2016 canon reference book Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, with illustrations by Tim McDonagh. Their first appearance in a story was in "The Light That Falls," a short story by Akemi Dawn Bowman featured in the 2003 anthology From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi.
The species was originally conceived for "Glah Ubooki's Strange & Wondrous Imports," a Star Wars Legends article penned by Shane Hensley and published in the February 1994 inaugural issue of the Star Wars Adventure Journal magazine series. This article featured a depiction of a jubba bird by Tim Eldred, portraying them as long-legged and feathery. However, artist Terryl Whitlatch redesigned the creatures' appearance in the 2001 reference book The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide, and it was Whitlatch's design that was adopted into canon.