If you happen to see a 10-foot-tall bird roaming around England, do not be alarmed: it’s just a guy in a costume hoping to raise wildlife conservation awareness.
According to the BBC, Matt Trevelyan is walking over 50 miles in the costume, which is modeled after the Eurasian curlew, a wader bird that has been threatened by factors including loss of habitat and climate change.
“Those who know me well know I was eventually going to build a giant curlew,” Trevelyan says. “She’s a real beauty. I wanted to represent curlews well because they’re such a beautiful bird.”
The costume was made out of polystyrene and bamboo, and boasts a 4-foot-long beak to recreate its “wonderful long bill.”
“It’s got a 4ft-long curved bill, which I’m quite worried about snagging in trees on the way, or tripping over and it snapping,” Trevelyan says. “But I’ve got a splint and I’ve got strong tape in case that happens.”
Trevelyan adds that he’s somewhat concerned about the wind lifting him off the ground in his costume, but if that happens, he sees that as a win.
“If I’ve made something that can fly that’s really good news,” he says.