Using "he/she" instead of "it" for animals
I'm writing a short story. The main character is visited by a strange black bird during the night (first draft):
I glanced around but there was no sign of the bird. I didn't spot it in any nearby trees, street poles, or roofs. It had dissolved into the darkness. Just like that.
Had it been a bird, or something else? But if that was the case, what was it? An hallucination? No, it hadn't been product of my imagination. It had been a real bird—with real eyes, real feathers, and a real beak. I went over to check the window. There wasn't a single scratch on it. On the contrary, it looked smooth and spotless as always. Should there be at least a tiny mark? Maybe the bird didn't shove the window as hard as I thought.
I wonder if I should use he instead it to refer to the bird. Would this improve the clarity of the text? Is this a common practice?
Had it been a bird, or something else? But if that was the case, what was he? An hallucination? No, he hadn't been product of my imagination. He'd been a real bird—with real eyes, real feathers, and a real beak. I went over to check the window. There wasn't a single scratch on it. On the contrary, it looked smooth and spotless as always. Should there be at least a tiny mark? Maybe the bird didn't shove the window as hard as I thought.
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1 answer
I would only use the gendered pronoun if you know the gender of the animal in question. Lions have manes; lionesses don't. A calico or tortiseshell housecat is 99% guaranteed to be female, while an all-orange tabby housecat is 99% guaranteed to be male. Male robins have the bright red breast while female robins are brown. And so on.
In your piece, the character has no idea if the bird is male or female, or even real, so "it" is appropriate.
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