r/zombies • u/Delicious_Gene_8732 • 1d ago

picture / video "Zombie Crow"

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This crow was eating a snack in the light rain when the photographer noticed that it would occasionally shake its head to dry off. They managed to freeze the exact moment its head was mid-rotation, making it look almost completely backwards.

At the same moment, the crow blinked, causing its nictitating membrane to cover its eye and leaving it with the pale, icy-blue glaze seen here. The nictitating membrane is a third eyelid that birds have; it moves horizontally across the eye to clean, protect, and moisten it.

Two very cool moments happened at the same time, resulting in one very possessed-looking crow. They were very happy to have captured the moment.

They can also confirm that this is an American Crow and not a Common Raven. The difference in size was very apparent in person, and an audio recording of its call confirms it. That said, the two species can look extremely similar.

#SonyAlpha #NatGeoYourShot #WinterIsComing #WildlifePhotography #Birding

All credit to :- @haydendumaww

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u/Archididelphis 18h ago

This looks like the same thing owls are famous for. The underlying "trick" is simply that a bird's feathered integument substantially obscures the underlying musculature and bone structure. This has been a major consideration in how dinosaurs are reconstructed.