With its white, round and fluffy shape, the シマエナガ shimaenaga, or long-tailed tit, has earned the nickname "snow fairy" in Japan since it is so adorably cute and often seen nestling on snowy branches in Hokkaido.

Many have become aware of the bird's charms thanks to photographer ぼく、シマエナガ。Boku, shima enaga (@daily_simaenaga), who may very well be the long-tailed tit's top evangelist. On his Twitter and Instagram accounts, he not only posts amazing pictures of the bird in its natural habitat but also makes onigiri rice balls and even pancakes representing its likeness.

One of his recent photos went viral for showing a long-tailed tit in a rare pose.

Rare moment captured on camera

Long-tailed tits are known for their cute beady eyes but it's unusual to see them closed. In a rarely-seen shot, he captured a long-tailed tit lying down on a tree branch with its eyes closed as if it were napping or enjoying a relaxing moment.

Please take a look!

With its calm expression, slightly open beak, and fluffy body, the already cute shimaenaga looks even more adorable than usual.

The Tweet went viral, garnering over 250,000 likes at the time of writing, and eliciting comments such as:

It just goes to show that, whether their eyes are open or shut, these little "snow fairies" are the cutest birds in Japan.