Gouldian Finch Chicks Are Terrifying

Gouldian Finches are beautifully colorful birds native to the Australian coast. As adults, they're stunningly beautiful—but they don't start out that way. Gouldian finch babies are, in a word, horrifying.

The hatchlings are born with reflective blue beads on their beaks that look like tiny, creepy pearls. The bright nodules help parents see and distinguish their babies in the dark; when the babies open their tiny, nightmarish mouths, the parents see the flashing blue and know it's time to feed them. The video above shows 3-day-old chicks waiting to be fed.

About a month after being born, the babies grow a nice feather coat, and they look a lot less like Mongolian Death Worms.