Dog Has No Idea Little Bird Thief Is Plucking Fur from Her Back
A sleeping labrador has no idea that her best friend is a bird, grooming her for free while building a bird nest at the same time.
Meet Maple, a senior Labrador Retriever who enjoys napping outside on a cool spring day in her Springfield, Missouri, home.
Any dog owner knows that dogs shed regularly, but come springtime, the shedding goes into overdrive as dogs naturally rid themselves of their thick winter coats.
It seems a clever little bird was well aware of Maple’s shedding coat and wanted the extra fur to prepare for some springtime baby birds.
“For about two weeks we have been watching the same bird stalking our Labrador Retriever, Maple,” Daniel Kersten told ViralHog in May 2016.
“When Maple takes a nap the bird flies down and spends several minutes pulling fur from her side and rear.”
The snoozing labrador isn’t disturbed in the slightest as the bird spends time hopping around Maple’s body, snatching beakfuls of fur.
Kersten said his family has watched the scene unfold at least three times, and decided to film it for posterity. Viewers are loving the symbiotic relationship between dog and bird — even if the dog isn’t all that aware she’s a major participant.
Kersten would watch the bird fly away and add Maple’s soft fur to her nest.
“We have filmed her doing this at least three times,” Kersten said.
“Maple only occasionally wakes up during these “fur harvest” sessions.”
At the video clip’s end, Maple does wake up and turn suddenly to find the bird plucking away. The bird quickly flaps away — but we all know she’ll be back for more.
Dog owners are loving the video, and wondering how they might employ a bird or two of their own for some “cheep” grooming.
“I need a flock of these birds to de-shed my husky,” joked Michal Emmert-Hart on NTD’s Facebook post.
Others have said they intentionally throw their dog’s shedding fur out into the yard, knowing a bird or two will scoop it up and use it for their nests.
Springtime may be a few months away, but now might be a good time to start taking applications from eager bird parents in your area.
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