The Shashays were a race of avians descended from birds on the planet Crytal Nest. They were humanoid in basic appearance, with colorful plumage and vestigial wings. Their wings were no longer used for flying, but will allow the Shashay to glide across a short distance. They were a graceful race, but were also given to quick tempers. The Shashay communicate with a wondrously-rich series of trills and riffs, and those Shashay which have left the planet were known as space singers. Because of their ability to manipulate the various musical arrangements required of their songs, the Shashay have developed large brains, and have the innate ability to calculate galactic navigational coordinates. This ability also garnered them the nickname space singers. During the Clone Wars, many Shashay died when a modified strain of the Separatist virus that was used against clone troopers began to infect several avian species. The virus caused unexpected molting, leaving individuals without the protection of their feathers.