Missing beak

[goosey]

I saw this jackdaw chick for the first time in the garden yesterday (it is around again today), it was the noise demanding food from the mother it made which drew my attention to it. I grabbed the camera and took some piccies intended for my website. When I checked those pictures though I see that the top beak is missing . How odd.
While the mother is still feeding it I should think it will be OK but surely it won't be able to feed itself and survive like this?

Do you think it was born like this? Could it be an avian form of a hair lip, is that possible? Or accident?



Just found some better images!

[chris butterworth]

Deformations of the beak are quite widespread and are either genetic or the result of accidents. This looks very like the former. I've seen 'cross-billed' Blue Tit, 'Avocet-billed' Snipe and 'droopy-billed Oystercatcher - to name but a few. It is surprising how 'well' such birds seem to survive although, in some extreme cases, preening and general feather care suffers.

Chris

[goosey]

Originally Posted by chris butterworth

Deformations of the beak are quite widespread and are either genetic or the result of accidents. This looks very like the former. I've seen 'cross-billed' Blue Tit, 'Avocet-billed' Snipe and 'droopy-billed Oystercatcher - to name but a few. It is surprising how 'well' such birds seem to survive although, in some extreme cases, preening and general feather care suffers.

Chris

Thanks Chris, more of a positive answer to its survial chances than I expected. I hope it can manage to preen some how.

[Suzanne B]

That's good news that it has a good chance.
You'll have to keep your eye out for it and let us know how it gets on if it stays around.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Suzanne B

That's good news that it has a good chance.
You'll have to keep your eye out for it and let us know how it gets on if it stays around.

It is still around the garden .

It is surprising how birds do manage with some disabilities. We had a male blackbird regularly for about 3-4 years with a very twisted leg, but I know for a fact he went on to successfully breed for a couple of seasons.
At the moment we have a great tit a very damaged leg with only one claw. I first noticed it over two weeks ago, it seems to hang around the garden most of the day for easy food and manages the peanut feeder well enough.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by goosey

At the moment we have a great tit a very damaged leg with only one claw. I first noticed it over two weeks ago, it seems to hang around the garden most of the day for easy food and manages the peanut feeder well enough.

Well this is odd but the damaged leg has gone altogether. Is it possible that a leg almost useles would drop off ?
The bird has continually been around since I mentioned it a few weeks ago but it was only a couple of days back I noticed it has a missing leg. I really do think it is the same bird.
I will try to get a piccie of the bird with out the leg if it ever brightens up but here is a piccie of how it was when I first noticed the damage.




BTW, the jackdaw without the top beak is still around too, but still being fed all this time on.

[chris butterworth]

Originally Posted by goosey

Well this is odd but the damaged leg has gone altogether. Is it possible that a leg almost useles would drop off ?

It depends on the injury and the species. It is 'quite common' for seabirds such as Storm-Petrels to get an infestation of Nematode worms in a circlet around the leg, or individual toes. This ,eventually, cuts off the circulation and the leg / toe drops off. It never 'seems' to affect the bird and they can carry on for years, or, in the case of Stormies, decades, without any difficulties. Of course, a one legged Ostrich () would be a different kettle of fish .

Chris