This is bird note. I'm Ariana Rimmel. Well, that's my alter ego. Once a mild-mannered

birder, I was bitten by a radioactive feather mite and became aviary, capable

of transforming into any bird I've seen in my travels.

My powers were put to the test recently when I heard on the radio that a local high school student had gotten lost exploring a cave with

his class.

The rescue team was struggling to find him in the maze of caverns.

I remembered an amazing bird I saw in Thailand, the Himalayan swiftlet.

These birds nest in caves and they can echolocate like bats to find their way in the dark.

The swiftlet's incredible echolocation might just save the day.

I went to the cave as fast as I could. With the Swiftlet's long narrow wings wings I sped through the labyrinth of tunnels mapping it out with my clicks.

Finally, the echo location calls I sent out bounced off a shape that was distinctly on rock-like.

I'd found the student.

Aviary.

I returned to human form and led the student back to the surface.

Thank you, aviation.

I left happy to have saved another life

and full of appreciation for the tiny swiftlet.

Learn about the very real superpowers of birds on our website,

Birdnote.org. Note.