Let me say right up front that this post has nothing to do with horses. Well, I suppose if I wanted to stretch things, I could make a case for how crows are related to horses… simply by the fact that they’re often found near horses!
But no, really, this post exists simply because of the sheer wondrousness of these Birds Of Paradise – who are most closely related to crows.
Tim Laman and Ed Scholes spent eight years (!) studying and photographing these birds in remote regions of Papua New Guinea on down to the east coast of Australia. Tim took almost 40,000 photos during that time and some of his best footage is distilled down into this 5-minute video that quite simply blew my mind.
I had never seen birds that could robe themselves in dramatic costumes while dancing and beat-boxing to show the ladies how fine they are. Oh yes, and they will also clear their stage of all debris and leaves prior to each performance! No, really. See for yourself:
And if you loved that and are intrigued to find out more, then here’s a presentation Tim and Ed gave for National Geographic; where they show behind-the-scenes footage of the canny platforms they rigged 160 feet up in the trees to capture this footage. Along with stories of how they worked with the locals and where their journey of discovery took them:
Honestly, we live in such an awe-inspiring world. The creativity and artistry of these birds inspires me to reach higher in my own life and creative endeavours.
Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. She began riding at age 2 in Kenya, and got her first horse at age 8 in Alberta, and so continues a life-long journey and love affair with these amazing creatures.
Thanks for sharing Jini…Mother Nature is so extraordinary there are just not words for the beauty and majesty she offers. My true hope is that theses places can survive mans thirst for distruction and resources.
Amen to that, Michelle!