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Odd Bod Bird
Oneofseven
Posts: 338
Anyone got any ideas about what has happened to this chaffinch, top left in the picture? All the feathers on his back and thighs seem to have doubled in length, he looks like he is wearing petticoats! At first we thought maybe he had been attacked by a sparrowhawk or something, but his feathers have all stayed like that for two months now. He seems quite healthy otherwise, hangs around with all the other chaffinches, and comes regularly for food.
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How odd! It looks as if he's started to moult but it's not completed properly - if I were you I'd get in touch with your local Wildlife Trust http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/your-local-trust and send them your picture.
Keep us informed
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks, Dove, will do that.
There are cage-birds and poultry that have frizzled feathers - with them it's obviously a mutation which has been bred for, so presumably it can happen in the wild - it will be interesting to see if he has offspring that carry the same mutation.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Poor birdy look like he's been dragged backwards through a hedge.
My guess is also that it's a genetic mutation. Perhaps his oil glands aren't working - a bit like one of us having a dry skin condition. What's left of my hair looks like that after being washed!
I read /heard somewhere that birds looking after babies stop looking after themsleves.
In Winter birds fluff up thir plumage to keep warm, as per the bird in the photo. I did a Google, and apparently a bird that is unwell may do likewise, so your bird is either feeling the cold, or poorly. Of course it could also be a mutation. I've seen birds fluffed up, but I am no expert and can not say which is the correct answer.
That is much more than 'fluffed up feathers' . I'm pretty certain it's a mutation.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes, I'm sure it's a genetic mutation. Mustn't' be doing him any harm otherwise he wouldn't be around to take a photo of. Time will tell if the females are put off but the mutation is likely to be recessive so the chicks would look 'normal'.
He's obviously survived the winter like that so it can't be too much of a problem for him - from what I can see the wing feathers appear normal.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.