An incredibly rare set of conjoined twin birds, attached at the hip, were found earlier this week in White County, Arkansas. The Arkansas game & Fish Commission is sending the barn swallows to the Smithsonian Institution for further examination. No photo in the Associated Press article. Form the AP:
While conjoined twins have been documented in humans, other mammals and reptiles, finding conjoined birds is difficult, as they likely die before being discovered, (Arkansas Game & Fish Commission ornithologist Karen) Rowe said. X-rays of the pair found each bird was fully formed, Rowe said. Scientists at the Smithsonian will examine the birds to determine whether they were fraternal twins or identical twins.
Rowe said the birds would have had to come from a double-yolk egg.
Siamese birds (Associated Press, thanks Jennifer Lum!)
