People Are In Love With Japan's Adorable 'Snow Fairy' Birds
Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido is home to a lot of beauty and wonder. Known for its "world class powder snow" and stunning wilderness according to the country's tourism website, the island draws a lot of attention from people around the world.
However, there's one animal that lives on the island, in particular, that's been gaining a lot of notoriety lately: the shima enaga.
The shima enaga is a subspecies of the long-tailed bushtit and it's been gaining attention from people on social media for its unusual and adorable appearance.
Also known as a snow fairy, Hokkaido's long-tailed bushtit isn't like the bushtits of the other areas that boast largely brown, gray, or tan colors. Instead, the shima enaga is a lovely white color, lending to its nickname: snow fairy.
The renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition even shared a photo of the bird on twitter and it's stunning.
In the photo, taken by Diana Rebman, you can see the white bird attempting to get a drink from an icicle dangling from a tree branch.
https://twitter.com/NHM_WPY/status/1174323470072799232
Photographer @niiya_photo also shared some photos of the fluffy white bird and you can see how well it blends in with the snow.
She captioned the photos (translated), "The snow fairy is too cute."
https://twitter.com/niiya_photo/status/1480459552080691202
The bird is really something special and it's easy to see why people are so obsessed with it!
You can check out the video below to see the "snow fairy" in action!
Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.