It’s cold out. The daffodils are wilting, there’s a skin of ice on the birdbath, and the birds themselves are grumpy and spherical.

It always astounds me how a sleek, elegant little bird with the gracefully curved back and wings will transform into a ball of fluffy feathers with feet and a beak sticking out. This makes me wonder about feathered dinosaurs. We see them as these wonderful, lean killing machines all tooth and claw and heavy heads and haunches. But if a T-rex gets cold, does it fluff? Would there be a great “POOF!” noise out on the savannah, and suddenly it’s a two-story sphere of feathers with the big square head and feet sticking out, (teeny front limbs completely vanishing) making gruff bass chirps of annoyance? Would velociraptors be charging like murderous tribbles ‘cross the winter landscape?

The Age of Dinosaurs may be even cuter than previously theorized.

Update: Now with quick sketch action! http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/28884237/