This is not a caterpillar

It's shaped like a caterpillar. It's colored like a caterpillar. It even has what appear to be spines running along its back, a feature common in many species of caterpillars. But this is no caterpillar.

By now you've undoubtedly realized that this caterpillar is, in fact, nine very friendly birds —European Bee-eaters, to be exact — crammed together on a single branch; but their resemblance to the larval form of butterflies and moths is unmistakable. So much so, in fact, that photographer José Luis Rodríguez actually named the photograph Oruga de Plumas, which translates to "caterpillar of feathers."

See more of Rodríguez's stunning nature photography over on his website.

José Luis Rodríguez via Wild Wonders of Europe. Hat tip to Natalie!

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