Smallbirds need to be pickable (like spiders) so player can protect them in case emergency

[Pig Princess]

Title. Right now player just can't avoid all danger completely because of hound/worm waves. It's bearable in early game (but raising tallbirds in early game is not worth it), but in late game it's impossible to stay on the go and protect smallbirds. Teenbirds are usually strong enough to survive a lot of encounters with player's help, especially in group of decent size, but smallbirds are just too aggressive while being too weak and they are uncontrollable on top of that. Smallbirds can easily die due to earthquake as well, especially if 2 or more players are in the area.

For reference, past day 100 worm waves have 5 worms in them, and each worm has 900 hp while dealing 75 damage per attack. Smallbird has 50 hp and deals 10 damage. Smallbirds attack anything aggressive to player period. Even attempt to tank all worms (WHY?) is not enough to save small birds, and this would require loads of thulecite armor to do in the first place (beefalo has too little health to pull it off). One technically can cage smallbirds in double-layered cage (and pray that earthquake won't happen), but that means player has to sit at base during all those 10 days and can't do other tasks (like go and obtain resources in remote location).

Making leader to be able to pick smallbirds any time (like Webber can pick allied spiders) would be a simple fix to a problem.

[Nightmaretribe]

100% agree and smaller birds are broken as of right now if you disconnect they will stop following or if hurt by you

[Wonz]

Yes that's good idea and it gave me an idea

Egg shell could drop after smallbird hatching. It could be crafted into helmet for them.