Goonie

Goonies are white birds that are most prominently found in the games Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Story, Yoshi's Island DS, and Yoshi's New Island. They are probably based on the, which is also called a "goonie" or "gooney bird". Some Goonies carry green Shy Guys, similar to how Albatosses carry Bob-ombs in Super Mario Bros. 2.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Goonies made their debut appearance in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They appear in most mountain levels and are always found in groups. There are many different varieties of Goonies. There are Flightless Goonies which, as the name implies, are Goonies that cannot fly and run on the ground. There is a Dry Bones-like variety of Goonie, known as the Skeleton Goonie, which usually carries bombs. Bowling Goonies are fat Goonies that roll along the ground. Hefty Goonies are the flying versions of Bowling Goonies, and if Yoshi swallowed one of these and spat it out, it would turn into their flightless counterparts. Additionally, Goonies can be seen flying in the background in some levels (as seen in the image on the right).

Tetris Attack
A Goonie appeared in Tetris Attack. It was allied with Lakitu.

Yoshi's Story
In Yoshi's Story, Goonies appear in Stage 3-3: Poochy & Nippy, where some hold bombs. Gray Goonies also appear in Stage 5-4: Shy Guy's Ship. They cannot hurt the Yoshis directly in this game and constantly make an "Aa-ho!" noise, based on their Japanese name.

Yoshi Touch & Go
In Yoshi Touch & Go, Goonies are occasionally seen flying in the sky in some parts during the ground part of the Marathon mode. Yoshi can hit them with eggs to earn points. Skeleton Goonies also appear.

Yoshi's Island DS
Goonies also appeared in Yoshi's Island DS, along with their flightless and skeletal counterparts. This game has two levels named after Goonies: Goonie Heights and The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear! A Hefty Goonie boss named Moltz the Very Goonie also appears as the fort boss of World 5. Also after The Fort of Moltz the Very Goonie is completed, all the later levels will have Skeleton Goonies. Goonies and Flightless Goonies use sprites edited from their Yoshi Touch & Go appearance, while Skeleton Goonies use ones edited from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, resulting in Skeleton Goonies being noticeably smaller than normal Goonies.

Yoshi's New Island
Goonies reappear in Yoshi's New Island, acting exactly as they did in past games. Skeleton Goonies, Flightless Goonies, Flightless Skeleton Goonies and Hefty Goonies also return. They prevail in the level, Fine Feathered Friends or Foes?.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, Goonies can only be encountered flying from right to left and can harm Yoshi upon usual contact with him. However, the bird enemies can be quickly unraveled and turned into white yarn balls if Yoshi eats them. Provided Yoshi jumps and stays on them, Goonies fly upwards, occasionally allowing Yoshi to reach items previously out of reach. Any Goonie, if struck with a yarn ball, loses its wings and becomes a Flightless Goonie.

As with almost all characters in the game, Goonies have a knitted, amigurumi appearance. They first show up in one of the levels in World 3, Fanciful Fluff and Feathers.

Yoshi's Crafted World
Goonies reappear in Yoshi's Crafted World as enemies.

Game & Watch Gallery 3
In Game & Watch Gallery 3, Goonies appear in the game Turtle Bridge. They are used for relaying packages between Toad and Mario. Sometimes the Goonies will dive at passing balloons.

Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, during the cutscene where Mario rides the Whale to Lavalava Island, a Goonie can be seen flying over the ocean. Unlike most characters in Paper Mario (one of the few other exceptions being the Whale himself), this Goonie was three-dimensional.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Goonies (here called Little Birdies ) made a cameo appearance in Cheep-Cheep Island in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Like little birds in later titles, they simply fly away temporarily if the player drives into one.

Super Smash Bros. series
Goonies appear in the background of two recurring Yoshi stages in the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Happy Tree, which debuted in the original Super Smash Bros., and Yoshi's Island, which debuted in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Goonies also appear as a Sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Goonies have a very minor appearance in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story during the Bowser's Castle and Tower of Yikk fight. When Bowser attacks, Goonies occasionally fly out from under the castle, and appear in the opening sequence of the giant battle.

Yoshi's Crafted World

 * North American website bio: "If Yoshi hits one of these white birds with an egg, it loses its wings and turns into a Flightless Goonie."