Assamese dancers in traditional attire perform as they attempt Guinness World Record in the largest folk dance performance category in Guwahati, India, Friday, April 14, 2023. Around 11,000 Bihu dancers and musicians performed together to set a new record for Guinness World Record in the largest folk dance performance category today. (Photo by Anupam Nath/AP Photo)

“The Ainu (アイヌ?), also called Aynu, Aino (アイノ), and in historical texts Ezo (蝦夷), are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of those who identify themselves as Ainu still live in this same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities and confusion over mixed heritages. In Japan, because of intermarriage over many years with Japanese, the concept of a 'pure Ainu' ethnic group is no longer feasible. Official estimates of the population are of around 25,000, while the unofficial number is upwards of 200,000 people”. – Wkipedia

Photo: A captive bear drinking from a large bottle held by an Ainu tribeswoman. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1955

A sheep and a gentleman farmer take to the streets of London today to mark the launch the new English Countryside chapter of Farmville, Zynga's global social gaming phenomenon on March 29, 2011 in London, England. Farmville English Countryside gives players all-new crops, buildings and decorations located in the beautiful English Countryside. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Farmville)

Chrisitan pilgrims carry wooden crosses along the Via Dolorosa during the Good Friday procession on April 22, 2011 in Jerusalem, Israel. Thousands of Christians around the world will today mark Good Fiday when they commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem Christian pilgrims took part in processions along the route that Jesus is believed to have taken in his last days as he carried the cross. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Former U.S. Vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) greets some of the thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts and military veterans participating in 'Rolling Thunder' rally May 29, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. Although not an official guest, former U.S. Vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin is expected to participate in today's motorcycle parade from the Pentagon to the National Mall.

Many people have seen feathers as decorative items before. Today, ostrich, peacock and bird of paradise feathers can be seen in haute couture and in the costumes of indigenous peoples. They can be colorful and spectacular in their own right, but how much more stunning might they be when used as canvases for artists, eager to demonstrate their talent for the unusual? Alaskan-born and -bred artist Julie Thompson is an astounding exponent of this incredible art form.

Sharon Beals is a San Francisco based photographer who has photographed nest and eggs specimens collected over the last two centuries at The California Academy of Sciences, The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. While few nests are collected today, these nests and eggs are used for research, providing important information about their builder’s habitats, DNA, diseases and other survival issues.