as the waves rise, also does this little bird

Hey can we not actually do this?

Orcas are not “humans of the ocean”. This implies that they are capable of understanding human concepts of morality, which we have no data to even remotely support.

What may seem horrific to us may be an adaptive survival strategy to them. For example, injuring prey and then allowing calves to practise hunting it is clearly a very successful way to pass on hunting skills.

This is unfortunately the danger of pushing this idea of the hyper intelligent animal that’s “just like us.” No. They’re not. They’re separated from us by millions of years of evolution and perceive and experience the world differently from us. Intelligence isn’t on a scale with humans at the top - intelligence is a range of cognitive abilities, spanning across a vast spectrum and dependent on the needs of that species survival.

There is nothing in the literature to suggest that orcas are capable of human levels of reasoning and therefore it is ridiculous to call them “humans of the ocean” when they engage in behaviours that are not exactly uncommon in other social species.

Tampering and destroying human property also isn’t new. Think about the kea in New Zealand that break off windshield wipers of cars seemingly for the fun of it.

Or, a personal anecdote, I recently had to take down my bird feeder camera because a sulphur crested cockatoo had deliberately bitten through the wire attaching the camera to the solar panel. There were seeds spread out for them to eat but they destroyed the wire instead - so no clear reinforcement value other than… fun?

Social learners like orcas are easily influenced and may do things just because it’s fun - which is likely what is happening in the Gilbrater Strait.

Over fifty years of data show a peak in PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals") content in seabird eggs in the 90s, followed by a decrease as regulations went into effect. The most recent findings show a 70% decrease of most common PFAS.

We are making genuine progress! Producers are dramatically altering how much they use PFAS and how much gets released in effluent, but also there's a lot better understanding of how to remove PFAS from the environment!

— admitting something to myself

I know I'm not human, that much is certain, but... am I really a bird? physically. I don't think so, and it's scary.

I thought I was a macaw, and I definitely still am in some way (probably a kintype), but I think it was instead just me trying to repress what I know deep down is true.

because... because what I truly, deep down, know I am, is a narwhal.

yes, I know, "another cetacean who believes they were turned into a human shape???"

yes.

I've tried repressing it for a long time, tried to hide behind different kintypes and identities, but it always comes back to this. I even know when I was given to my human family.

I don't know how I'm like this or why, but I know I'm a narwhal. my whole childhood I wished to be a mermaid, to live in the ocean, to merge my legs into a fin. I tried everything I could, every spell I found on the internet, every potion, every ritual, but of course nothing worked. I gave up on my dream as I grew up, and now I'm even scared of deep water, but that longing stayed deep inside of me.

gods it's... it's scary to admit this in a post. I know someone will think "you said you were a macaw two days ago! so you were lying?!" and "another cetacean? you're making it up at this point." and I can't do anything but ask of those people to just. just leave if you think I'm making it up to "jump on the trend" of physical cetaceans.

it's been a LONG time since I figured this out, since I realized, but these people have made me suppress it. suppress this part of me. suppress what I know is true to the point my mind latched onto other, more "believable", identities to hide it.

so. this is it. this is what I am, who I am. my username is staying the same though, I refuse to give this one up and I still am a bird, just in a different way.

thank you for reading.

(to lighten the mood, take a shot every time I say the word "know" in this post)(/j please don't)

There's no shame in being a cetacean. If you feel comfortable describing yourself like that, the only shame is the one coming from those who try to fakeclaim.

Identities change and it's okay to acknowledge that. You can't be something forever,, even forever will change someday.

(All versions below cut, feel free to add different backgrounds using the transparents)

since 2003 , as start by easalle and silverie from livejournal ;D

'Wear' Are Your Wings?! Calling all winged creatures! The first annual "'Wear' Are Your Wings" Holiday is nearly upon us! Birds, Dragons, Faeries, Angels, Bags, Bats and all that flutter and flitter, spread your wings and soar with pride! Thursday, May 15th, 2003!! Wear your wings! Buy or make your own, if you don't have any at home to wear. Wear them no matter what you are doing. A good idea is to wear a pair small enough to not be too intrusive. Note: Wings and Cars don't mix. Walking and Biking are environmentally better anyway! Make more wings to hand out to others if they haven't got their own. Use paper, feathers, foam, and fabric. Be creative! Attach them with safety pins, tape, Velcro or something else! Go out in the world and hand out your wings to everyone you meet! Spread the joy of magic and dreams! Don't forget to wear your wings too! Wear your wings with pride and joy! Spread the love and beauty of fairy magic! Have fun and love life!

@juice-wings

Thank you so much for inviting me Juice!! I really appreciate that!

I have this drawing I made a while ago:

And some other photos (that I got from wikipedia + birds of the world)

I don’t have paws, I don’t have fur or a mussel, I don’t feel a prey drive, I don’t long to run on all fours.

I just get annoyed with how they’ve taken over my entire feed. Yes, sometimes they have genuinely insightful things to say, and I want to listen to that. I just can’t relate to anything they say unless it’s a profound thought about the community.

gatekeeping is in no way good, but creating safe spaces for those who aren't heard properly in the community is increasingly necessary. I don't even think that's gatekeeping

If I had my skin...