I NEVER get tired of this video. It would be fantastic if the bird was just flying near him, but the fact it feels safe and comfortable enough to land ON his paraglider, isn't startled when he pets it, and is NIBBLING HIS SHOES... blessed moment, absolutely fabulous, 10/10 gold stars.
Okay but the bird isn't just nibbling
Note that it doesn't start nibbling until he starts smoothing its feathers.
They're grooming each other.
This is called parahawking! That vulture is tame -- it’s wearing jesses (a leather tie around the leg that a falconer will use to hold a bird when it’s on the glove). In fact that vulture is employed. Parahawking birds seek out thermals the same way they would naturally, allowing paragliders to follow them in the process.
Vultures are often used for parahawking both because of their attraction to thermals, and because vultures, as scavengers, are comparatively gentler and more sociable than birds of prey!
![[id: a drawing of xylocopa varpuncta, aka the valley carpenter bee. the drawing portrays a female and male of the species respectively the female is pitch black, she has huge eyes and sketchily drawn antennae on her head. she has blue-purple lighting on the side of her face to bring out the details. Under her is white text surrounded by a black box that reads, "FEMALE". The male is drawn in a far more simplified and cartoonish way. He is yellow and has a lighter sand color "mane" around his neck. he has huge, green eyes with beady pupils. he has rounded antennae. below him is text that reads, "male". end id]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f1014b9292a7dd5e95fb21b9a36288a2/a63d91e5d2a95aac-9d/s640x960/1a588082fb984efa75c2754d9d2d6f94e2f8e47b.png)
