Unexpected Visitor at Paranal Observatory

A sparrow caught at the main garden of the Paranal Residencia, where the subtropical vegetation and a swimming pool keep a higher level of humidity than outside, offering a more comfortable environment to people working at the observatory (and not only to people!). As an oasis in the middle of the driest desert on Earth, the garden of the Paranal Residencia sometimes attracts unexpected special visitors, such as small birds and insects. Most of these and other animals sometimes seen in the area, such as foxes and vultures, mostly come from the coast, only 12 km away from the Observatory. At lower altitudes, typically under the 1500 metres, the humidity of the ocean allows the survival of endemic flora and fauna.