Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/flowers-look-like-birds-yulan-magnolias/

We all love a good trick of the eye – just think the great debate over the gold or blue dress a few years ago.

But there is one optical illusion that has been brought to us courtesy of Mother Nature. And it’s pretty cool! These particular flowers also happen to look very similar to birds.

The flowers are those of the Yulan magnolias, a species that is native to China. The beautiful and fragile pink flower has a citrus scent, as well as a very long history. These flowers date back many, many years – having been raised for almost 1,500 years in the gardens of Buddhist temples.

These flowers are seen as a symbol of purity. During the Tang Dynasty in China, these magnolias were planted along the emperor’s palace.

The Yulan magnolias will often bloom in the springtime. And it turns out that when their blossoms appear, they have an appearance of looking like tiny little birds.

They lose this optical illusion as soon as the petals of each blossom start to open up. But for a little while, a far-off photo of them could have you questioning if it’s a photo of a bird.

What do you think of these flowers? Can you see the resemblance? Let us know!

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog