Most likely because you are a misanthrope like me … but a bit more seriously:
Both baby birds and human babies are considered cute by many people, as they both follow the “Kindchenschema” – big eyes and head, round face, small nose and mouth, all of which should evoke the urge for caregiving. But not for you, apparently.
So, what is wrong with you (and me) – or to put it more neutrally, why do you find baby birds but not human babies cute? Here are some explanations.
Baby birds have feathers, which are soft, fluffy, and textured. Compare that to the patchy hair and blotchy skin of a human baby, and I know what I prefer.
Human babies have a drooling mouth and weird facial expressions – the pure, round eyes and the beak of a baby bird look much nicer, at least to me.
Baby birds are typically quiet and do not move too much (at least in the presence of humans – parents of baby birds would probably disagree). In contrast, human babies cry a lot, particularly when I encounter them on planes, and they are messy and unpredictable, prone to sudden unprovoked outbursts of noise.
Finally, human babies are – how to put this – humans and thus related to Donald Trump, Adolf Hitler, and Benjamin Netanyahu. Baby birds are not.
I hope you feel better now – you are probably still weird, but in a good way.
Cover Photo: Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Shanghai, May 2022
I think baby birds are weird, especially squabs. On the other hand, humans only become cute after a few months or growing. Newborns all look alike (there’s a reason the hospital labels them – you would not recognise your own child) and rather boring. But then newborn birds are worse. Exception: ducklings! I looooove ducklings, said Mr Pike.
Babies on a plane? Great! They are smaller than adults and noise-canceling technology does the rest.
Each and every one of them can grow into a dictator, I grant you that, but have you seen Putin’s baby pictures? You can see it already…