I seem to have a fair few birds with damaged feet/legs these past few weeks - has anyone else or am I just being super observant?

So far there's been a blackbird, a starling, a sparrow and now a pigeon see...



Strange huh?!?

Its quite common to see one legged pidgeons in and around town, and there have been some sightings of a one legged duck this year which can't help with swimming at all. I don't know how the birds lose their legs, escaping from predators maybe?

Oh dear poor ducky! The vision of a duck 'swimming in circles' springs to mind lol!

Well this is what baffles me tbh. Are they landing on stuff that injures their feet or what? What's more confusing is that it's not just one species but many different ones - hmmm... mystified!

Suppose I'll never get to the bottom of it, but was just wondering if any of you out there were having the same happen to your birds that visit your gardens?

This post was last modified: 13-07-2007 03:48 PM by Caz.

When I used to commute into London (something I thankfully don't do any more) there were very few pigeons at the station (London Bridge) that didn't have a damaged foot/leg. Must have been due to all the electric rails and a tendency to play 'chicken' with the trains. However, it never seemed to bother them too much in their hunt for crumbs dropped by the commuting lemmings.

Well admittedly all those that I have seen can actually fly ok, but hop rather awkwardly when on the ground, either dragging or holding up their poorly feet

Thats what I have noticed, they don't seem at all bothered by their lack of two legs. They don't seem at any disadvantage to their fellow scavengers when hunting for food, which is perhaps why we seem to see so many.

i seen a blackbird and a magpie poor things

Foot & leg injuries are extremely common in birds & are caused by numerous things e.g. fishing line, garden netting, discarded string, cotton etc, being grabbed by a predator, cars etc. Fishing line & garden netting are probably the most common.
Wildlife is very adaptable & will learn to cope with major disabilities, often for many years. Never underestimate our wildlife.

This post was last modified: 13-08-2007 05:18 PM by wildliferescuer.

It is amazing how the animals cope, a fairly horrific injury or disability doesn't seem to put them off most of the time. The way a lot of wildlife can so quickly adapt is incredible.

I have noticed more ducks / geese with deformed bills this year than I have done before and it probably is coincidence but the one canada goose looked possitively evil with the top part only half the length of the lower and almost a wrinkled melted look to it. After seeing this over the next couple of weeks I notice quite a few deformed or in very poor condition ducks and geese.

I guess it is like anything you notice one and then subconciously latch on and notice more.

It is strange that many people seem to have noticed omre deformed birds this year, but you could be right that once you are conscious of it you are more likely to see it. I can't think of any reason why more birds would have that problem this year other than conincidence.

I have not noticed any increase here in my bit of the United States. It does sound as if it's a combination of simply noticing it more, and coincidence.

Kingfisher

This post was last modified: 20-08-2007 01:11 PM by Kingfisher.

I hate seeing injured animals, I know they can often get on with their life completely normally but it makes me angry when a lot of birds get injured in ways that could have easily been avoided if humans had been a bit more careful!

At the local railway station, most of the pigeons have injured feet. They often outnumber those that don't, but as others have mentioned, still do ok hopping about.

I haven't seen it so much in the wild, but after reading an article a few years back, always make sure that if I buy peanuts in a netted bag, I decant them into a proper feeder before putting them out.