As usual, Matthew Cobb is the fount of all animal tw**ts. Here are two good ones: chicks of what I guess to be the European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria.
Very late golden plover hatchlings. Still beautiful! #fieldwork pic.twitter.com/yDBIxhTF0O
— Camilo Carneiro (@Camilo_Carneiro) July 16, 2017
I have no idea whether this is camouflage for a mossy milieu, but a reader might answer based on where the chicks are known to hang out.
They are moss with legs! pic.twitter.com/bo4g7PzoQD
— Camilo Carneiro (@Camilo_Carneiro) July 16, 2017
They appear to be ground nesters, so the camouflage hypothesis seems reasonable:
The adults are lovely, too:
have you figured out why he won’t spell out “tweet” or “twitter?” He must have an issue with Twitter!
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Though Tw**er is valuable, it has an unmistakable tendency of illustrating unwanted insights into the psyche of so many of this planet’s inhabitants, some of whom sadly occupy government offices.
As an invention, from my physicist’s point of view, it’s not an innovative technology and most of it’s users would fail a Turing Test for a nine year old.
With camo like that, this species should live long and prosper.
Until something happens to the moss.
Wonderful camouflage! And such darling chicks.
The charadriiformes (shorebirds) all tend to have chicks that score highly for cuteness but golden plover chiks are particularly attractive.
They move from coastal areas to higher moorland to breed. Image search for “Nine Standards Rigg” for an area where I have seen quite a few.
They are great! And bravo to the photographer!