Followers of the "Birds Aren't Real" conspiracy theory, which claims the birds in the sky are government surveillance drones, may find some validation as a new research project intends to transform dead birds into drones. 

Reuters reported a team of scientists at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro are taking dead birds and converting them into drones to study flight. While the bird drones might not be spying, it provides some validity to supporters of the Birds Aren't Real movement. 

"We came up with this idea that we can use ... dead birds and make them (into) a drone," said Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian, a mechanical engineering professor who is leading the project. 

"Taxidermy bird drones - currently being tested in a purpose-built cage at the university - can be used to understand better the formation and flight patterns of flocks. That, in turn, can be applied to the aviation industry," said Hassanalian.

"If we learn how these birds manage ... energy between themselves, we can apply (that) into the future aviation industry to save more energy and save more fuel," he said.

The Birds Aren't Real folks will have a blast with this picture of one of Hassanalian's taxidermy bird drones. 

Hassanalian told Bussiness Insider that the Birds Aren't Real movement didn't inspire his research.