Meet the great eared nightjar – the bird that looks like a tiny fluffy dragon

I’ve always wanted at least some of those mythical creatures from fairytales to be real, with the majestic dragons on top of that list. Well, lucky for me (and for millions of The Game Of Thrones fans) – the enormous legendary dragons may not be real, but this tiny bird perfectly reassembles these reptile-like creatures. Everyone meet the great eared nightjar, the cutest dragon ever!

 

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A post shared by Jenisha Aggarwal (@fly_with_jenisha)

This adorable bird looks like it is straight out of a fairytale, but they are just as real as breathing. Extremely elusive, the great eared nightjar takes advantage of its perfect camouflage that allows them to blend with the leaves of the South Asian tropical forests – their natural habitat.

NABA CHOUDHURY

When looking at these tiny creatures, it’s just so hard to say they are actually birds, but rather some fluffy little dragons!

These exceptionally looking birds, are nocturnal and they use to build their nests on the ground. One of the reasons might be their perfect mix with the dry leaves which helps them to avoid predators. They usually hatch a single egg!

NARUPON NIMPAIBOON

There are at least five nightjar subspecies, but none of them can match the uniqueness of these tiny dragons. The great eared nightjar can weigh up to 4.6 oz (the males) and around 5.3 oz, the females. They have been first discovered in the 19th century by the the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the tropical forests of Philippines.

Watch this rare beauty in the video below!

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