A white-crowned sparrow paid our ground-level feeder a visit late this afternoon.
Daily Archives: April 18, 2023
Re: Strange Blackbird
I’m a few miles north of Idaho Falls on highway 43 and just south of Ucon.
Juncos & White-crowned Sparrows
Past few days have seen arrival of a few more White-crowned Sparrows each day, searching for scattered black-oil sunflower seeds beneath the feeder. Most common DE Juncos with them have been Oregon forms. This evening a beautiful Gray-headed form is present, with its rufous-red mantle, black lores & full yellow bill.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Re: Strange Blackbird
Should have proofread my previous reply. I recall when living in Anchorage, Alaska that Chickadees were observed with deformed bills.
Diann Stone
Boise Depot Bench
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” Rachel Carson
Re: Strange Blackbird
I recall living in that there were numerous Black-capped Chickadees with beak deformities. Studies were begun to try to understand this phenomenon. Here is a link to information about this Avian Keratin Disorder. If you read quite a ways through it, you will find a Reporting Form that you can use to submit your observation.
https://blog.nature.org/2020/10/06/deformed-beaks-what-we-know-about-an-alarming-bird-disease/
What is your location?
Diann Stone
Boise Depot Bench
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” Rachel Carson
Re: Strange Blackbird
Maybe Avian Keratin Disorder.
Wendy Dandridge
Santa Rosa
iPhone. iTypos. iApologize.
Strange Blackbird
I’ve seen my share of one-legged birds, and other oddities, but how about this one? This RW Blackbird showed up in my yard early this spring. His lower bill is normal, but the upper bill is about an inch and a half longer, and it decurves. When I throw out cracked corn for them, the only way he can eat is to lay his head on the ground and kind of scoop it in. Very strange. What causes this? 