Initially the party thought Master Gondrick is just and an asshole who annoyed the group because he failed to steal from them at first, and few times after. But as it turned out Gondrick wasn't a bird in the end. He might have been when his goons first attacked the party, but later his body (presumably) was used as vessel for Morgan of J'Lynh the trickster lich. Morgan of J'Lynh replaced Gondrick's skull with his own.