An apparent set of conjoined twin birds — an incredibly rare find — has been discovered in Arkansas, authorities said.
The bodies of the barn swallows, which are attached at the hip by skin and possibly muscle tissue, are being sent to the Smithsonian Institution for examination and confirmation, Arkansas wildlife officials said Friday.
“I can’t even say it’s one in a million — it’s probably more than that,” said Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
The birds fell out of a nest as a healthy sibling flew off to learn how to hunt with its parents, Rowe said.
One died early Friday, and a veterinarian later euthanized the other.
X-rays of the pair found each bird was fully formed, Rowe said.
She said the birds would have had to come from a double-yolk egg.
