Tweets - I pass along the following clip from Cameron Eckert in Whitehorse,
Yukon re. a plethora of deformed chickadees. If it can happen there, it
just might happen elsewhere. I have a jpeg file of one of the affected
chicks in hand. If someone would like to put this file up on their website
so we can look at it, I will send it along.

JB

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CHICKADEE ALERT!! Deformed Black-capped Chickadees in southcentral Alaska

During the past few months we have had reports of 27 Black-capped
Chickadees and 1 Downy Woodpecker in Alaska with grossly deformed bills.
In most cases the upper mandible is greatly elongated and decurved, often
crossing over the lower mandible. The birds look more like honeycreepers
or curlews than chickadees!

Most of the reports have come from Anchorage (14 chickadees and 1
woodpecker). The rest have been scattered across southcentral Alaska in
King Salmon, Willow, Settler's Bay, Big Lake, Wasilla, and Eagle
River. We have had no reports north of the Alaska Range or from
southeastern Alaska. There have been reports of chickadees with deformed
bills from only two other locations in North America (Ontario and
Wisconsin). Most of the reports in Alaska have been from this winter or
last, but the earliest record we have is from 1991.

The birds have been seen mostly at suet or peanut butter feeders and have
trouble manipulating seeds. Other than having odd bills, the birds appear
normal and healthy. The USGS Alaska Biological Science Center is interested
in finding out how widespread this strange phenomenon is and what has
caused the deformities. If you see any birds with deformities, please
report them immediately to:

Colleen Handel
USGS - Alaska Biological Science Center
1011 E. Tudor Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 786-3418
colleen_handel at usgs.gov

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Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca