We know it sounds like a bad thing, but it’s not!
The residents of Iceland have an interesting annual tradition. It turns out that they get busy during late August and early September hurling baby birds off their country’s cliffs. Before you march out with pitchforks, we must stop you– this longstanding phenomenon is a good thing for the avians.
The baby birds, also known as pufflings get tossed so they don’t stay in their nesting area for quite too long. This is because if residents left these animals to their own devices, the birds might succumb to a dwindling food supply, and be at higher risk of being nabbed by predators. We don’t want that, right?
In a trending viral video, the pufflings were shown to take it in stride, but initially act confused about where the ocean is. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, this is because the bright lights of nearby towns in the Westman Islands (where they nest) shine so bright that the birds can’t see the moon, which acts as their guiding light during their travels.
To see the full video of the baby birds, check out the full video here!
Image via wikimedia commons