These ancient Americans mummified parrots. No one knows why

Researchers working in northern Chile say people from an ancient civilization transported exotic birds hundreds of miles over the Andes, before mummifying them with their mouths wide open.

Parrots and macaws are not native to the Atacama, which is the driest desert in the world, but feathers and mummified birds have been found at archaeological sites in the region, according to a news release from Penn State University, published Monday. Many parrots were mummified after death, some with their mouths open and their tongues sticking out, and others with their wings spread as if they were flying.