Cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers all having fun with a day within the snow
Can you title all these birds?
The declare: Image exhibits genuine chicken species known as a ‘pyjama chicken’
A Jan. 10 Facebook submit (direct link, archive link) exhibits a picture of a chicken with distinct purple and white stripes.
“Pyjama chicken. So wonderful,” reads the submit’s caption, which incorporates quite a few hashtags associated to wildlife images.
The submit was shared 33,000 occasions in two weeks.
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The animal proven within the picture is just not an actual species of chicken, in line with consultants. The picture is fabricated.
Image doesn’t present precise chicken species
Dominique Homberger, a comparative anatomist at Louisiana State University, advised USA TODAY that the chicken within the picture does not exist.
“In my opinion, this can be a considerably skillful synthetic image,” she stated in an e-mail. “I have no idea any such species. Furthermore, the ft of the chicken are unnaturally positioned and appear to be glued on prime of pure toes. The leg on the left within the footage has unusual growths and is shorter. The stripes are too common. There isn’t any ‘pyjama chicken.'”
Pat Leonard, a spokesperson for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, additionally advised USA TODAY the picture doesn’t present an actual animal.
“There’s no query this a pretend chicken − no such species exists,” she stated in an e-mail. “There are sufficient beautiful birds on the earth that we don’t need to make up new ones. This additionally does a disservice to those that are earnestly making an attempt to be taught extra about birds. It’s exhausting sufficient with out having to navigate round these false birds.”
Chad Witko, an avian biologist on the National Audubon Society, likewise advised USA TODAY that the picture doesn’t present an actual species of chicken.
The “pyjama chicken” doesn’t seem in The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World database or Avibase: The World Bird Database, which is hosted by Birds Canada.
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USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook consumer who shared the submit for remark however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- Dominique Homberger, Jan. 22, Email alternate with USA TODAY
- Pat Leonard, Jan. 22, Email alternate with USA TODAY
- Chad Witko, Jan. 22, Email alternate with USA TODAY
- Avibase: The World Bird Database, accessed Jan. 22, Home page
- The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World, accessed Jan. 22, Home page
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