It's November, and mustaches are popping up everywhere. But one seabird has been rocking a world-class 'stache all year long.
Meet the Inca tern, a bird that looks like it's ready for an old-timey portrait, complete with a perfectly curled handlebar mustache.
That dramatic mustache isn't facial hair at all. It's a set of fine white feathers that curl away from the bird's face. Paired with sleek, dark plumage and a bright red beak, the look is as striking as it is stylish.
Here's where things get wild. Scientists say the length of an Inca tern's mustache is a sign of its health. The longer the 'stache, the healthier the bird. Talk about wearing your wellness on your face!
In the Inca tern world, mustaches aren't just for the guys. Both males and females grow these signature 'staches, so everyone gets to show off.
If you're hoping to see this mustachioed marvel in person, you'll need to head to South America. The Inca tern is found along the coasts of Peru and Chile.
From its fancy facial feathers to its bold red beak, the Inca tern proves that sometimes nature has a better sense of style than any of us.
Can't get enough of nature's strangest creatures? Discover more in Ripley's Believe It or Not! Wired Into Weird , packed with jaw-dropping stories, bizarre animals, and the oddities that make our world so much stranger.
