2. Morepork (New Zealand, Oceania)
The morepork, a bird species from New Zealand, ranks second on the list, marking another unexpected outcome. Birds would not be an obvious part of the most-endearing charts, yet our study shows we cannot take our eyes off this particular species!
The Kiwi-native bird’s expressive eyes contribute to a look of constant surprise, and in combination with their soft feathers, they draw prolonged attention (0.34 seconds of average fixation duration), once again challenging the typical notion of what makes an animal adorable.
Fun fact: the morepork is named after its distinctive call, which sounds like it is saying "more pork!", but this type of owl feeds mainly on insects and small vertebrates.