So you got up this morning, ran a comb through your mop, put on your face, and performed whatever other rituals you felt necessary to launch confidently into your busy day. Congratulations!
Now be grateful you’re not a big feathery bird instead.
Have you ever wondered how many feathers it takes to make a great blue heron? (Seriously, if you know, write and tell me how many!) However astounding the actual number might be, herons (like all birds, to varying degrees) face the perpetually daunting task of maintaining their plumage in perfect operating order. From big outer flight feathers, to lighter-than-air underfeathers — not to mention primary, secondary, semi-, filo- and other varieties of plume located inside, outside, front, back, high and low — herons must regularly address each and every contour and bristle and wisp of down on an interminable basis.
While these prodigious predators naturally command attention and awe for numerous great reasons, the stalker above gifted me a golden opportunity to focus on an aspect of its being that I suspect is widely underappreciated. Just watch the video above and try to imagine, next time you dive into your own preening ritual — as you brush away your bed head, tweeze a few stray hairs from lash or ‘stache, perform all the Maybelline magic you need to face the world — how late you’d roll into work every day if you had a thousand feathers to organize instead.
Facing a challenge like this every morning, I’m not sure I’d even roll out of bed. To see what this big blue does instead, just CLICK HERE.
