"Goofy" might be a better descriptor, but these seabird statues lining an outer wall of an Ecuadorian cathedral are called "grotesques"—the architectural term for a statue ornamenting the side of a building. But hang on…don"t we call those "gargoyles"? Not exactly. Gargoyles are simply grotesques that boast a specific, practical feature: spouts that convey water from rain gutters away from the building.
A grotesque scene
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Ruins of St. Dwynwens Church, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales
-
Oymyakon, Russia
-
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
-
European Day of Parks
-
National Bison Day
-
Unearthing a queen s lost tale
-
Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
-
Mid-Autumn Festival
-
Diving into the underwater nirvana
-
Frost on autumn leaves
-
The Big Blue of the Sierra
-
Pups of the prairie
-
A Great view from above
-
Struck by Southwestern beauty
-
Oktoberfest begins!
-
It s Computer Science Education Week
-
National Trails Day
-
Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
-
Glowworm caves in Australia
-
Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
-
Big Bend National Park in Texas turns 81
-
International Museum Day
-
World Whale Day
-
Endangered Species Day
-
Hiking the High Trestle Trail
-
Atop the Needle of Chamonix
-
Happy Boxing Day!
-
Classical music takes center stage
-
World Teachers Day
-
Ponta Delgada
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

