important personality test: if you had wings, would you rather have insect wings, bird wings, or bat wings?
I think it’s really cool that barn owls (Tyto alba) have adapted differently depending on where they live in their range, but not enough to warrant different species names (or course, that’s up to debate).
pesquet’s parrot, also known as the vulturine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot native to the rainforests of new guinea. they are named for their bare facial patch and long beak, making them appear somewhat vulture-like in appearance. they feed almost entirely on figs, and it’s likely their featherless faces evolved to prevent sticky fruits from becoming matted on the face.
ifesbob 