An injured bird rescue team in California is using an X-ray of a duck with what looks like the head of an alien in its stomach to raise funds and awareness.

ADVERTISEMENT

Maria Travers, assistant rehabilitation manager at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia, Calif., said she immediately thought of an alien when she saw the X-ray.

Travers said the matter could be from a massing in the duck's stomach of grain or rocks, which the animals eat to help digestion.

The duck, which died later from an unrelated cause, was brought to the center Sunday with a broken wing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

But a recent autopsy found no alien head, although there were some traces of grain.

The center was created in 1971 after an oil spill in San Francisco and is a worldwide leader in helping birds hurt by such catastrophes.

It's largely run by volunteers and donations, which is why the X-ray and a certificate of authenticity are being auctioned on eBay.