Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Bird Foot Deformity – Tufted Titmouse

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When I first observed a particular Tufted Titmouse land on a feeder pole, I thought he had a leaf snagged on his right foot.  As he flitted in and out, it became clear this was a bird foot deformity.  A brief Google search indicates deformities among wild birds is rare.  This rarity is undoubtedly attributable, in large part, to reduced survivability.

As you will see in the video, he (or she) appears to function quite well in spite of the excess tissue.  He has no trouble perching.  He moves freely through the cage protecting the mealworm feeder from the larger birds.  In fact, I just saw him again this morning.  So, he’s hanging in there!

 

Gray Catbird Investigates Prison Site

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I don’t see the Gray Catbird very often. In fact, when I had to research what I saw to determine what it was. They are actually quite distinctive with the wide, black stripe on their heads and the deep, rust-colored feathering under their tails.

When he visited, we were still in defeat-the-Grackles mode. I wonder what he thought about all the caged food. Clearly, he wasn’t taking a chance he’d end up in lock up!

BTW — the Catbird gets its name from its song. It has a “mew” sound to it. Okay, so it’s a bit of an angry-cat sound.  If you are interested in hearing it, here’s a link:  Catbird Call

Enjoy the video.  He’s a pretty cool looking bird!