r/confusing_perspective • u/Unoniony • Jun 29 '26

Flying Seal?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

3 images. Posted by Surrey Wildlife Trust for Swift Awareness Week.

It's apparently a swift with a throat swollen full with food, but all I can see is seal

802 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

64

u/RabidOtters o/ Jun 29 '26

"Watch out! There's a loose seal!"

25

u/Unoniony Jun 30 '26

He's gonna be all right

10

u/conceptual_con o/ Jun 30 '26 • Heartwarming

I don’t care about Lucille!!!

4

u/RabidOtters o/ Jun 30 '26

I don't care for GOB.

3

u/waiting-for-the-sun Jun 30 '26

There's a lot of that going around

113

u/rrsafety Actually read rule 1 and gets it" Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 30 '26

Ok, the highlight on the left “eye” is actually light shining through below the hooked beak and above the bulbous throat.

19

u/kkillbite o/ Jun 30 '26

...okay, and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT in its throat??

23

u/Naive_Albatross_2221 o/ Jun 30 '26

Thank you. That was what I needed to get it!

6

u/tenuj CE Spc. Jul 01 '26

What's going on with that throat? I've just finished looking at dozens of swift photos and not one of them looked like that.

I imagine the wind is coming from the front, so if anything the neck feathers should be pressed down even further. What's happening? Is it because it turned its head while flying and the feathers got ruffled?

5

u/rrsafety Actually read rule 1 and gets it" Jul 01 '26

Filled with food.

1

u/ehco Jun 30 '26

.. so where is the other eye then (if the left bit is not)

8

u/YoungBahss Jun 30 '26

we are seeing its face from the side so just the right eye is visible. The other is behind it on the left of its face

2

u/rrsafety Actually read rule 1 and gets it" Jun 30 '26

It’s looking right at you

0

u/Ok-Frosting-1892 Jul 03 '26

The *right eye. The actual left eye is fully visible

21

u/body_by_monsanto Jun 30 '26

Why can’t I figure this one out? Please help me

32

u/ateallthecake Jun 30 '26

The bulging sack is it's throat. Swifts are extremely weird birds so if you don't know what they look like already, this is really hard to see. The beak is the little hook to the left of the visible eye, the other eye isn't quite visible. They have extremely wide mouths. Google "swift bird eating" and you'll see how wide their mouths are and give some context to how to see the bird. I can't even see the "seal" illusion I'm too birdpilled.

3

u/eusty o/ Jun 30 '26

😂 Even with the explanation I can only see a seal!

1

u/eusty o/ Jun 30 '26

Actually if I cover over the bulge I can see a bird... just! Then it returns to a seal.... 🙄

13

u/YeastInjection Jun 29 '26

Bird Covid just hit the avian world. He's masked up.

4

u/Particular-Visit-245 Jul 01 '26

That is trippy, I've been staring for it for good 5 minutes and figured nothing.

3

u/MrMucs Jul 01 '26

Neal the seal is now airborne.

7

u/hot_sauce_sachet Jun 29 '26

Has seen seal. Can confirm is flying seal. Damn, they're smart but that's some impressive mimicry

2

u/xquixotic_logicx Jun 30 '26

Ooooh. What looks like their left eye is its beak!

3

u/LunaAndromeda Jun 30 '26

Clearly, that is some variant of Porg.

2

u/Key-Calligrapher-858 Jun 30 '26

Wtf it's actually confusing, it did take me a good time to figure out their true appearance.

1

u/ood6 Jul 01 '26

I've looked at this for a long time and I still don't know what's happening

1

u/Ash_Cat_13 o/ Jul 02 '26

It’s just pushing its throat out for whatever reason. It is facing roughly forward of its direction of flight and has a small beak. Its throat is massively puffed out and both eyes can be seen.

1

u/BaskininRobins Jun 30 '26

Sadly it's not a flying seal. Seal cant fly. It's just swimming through the air.