Subject: [Tweeters] Deformed Finch
Date: Oct 25 00:41:28 2012
From: Devorah the ornithologist - birdologist at gmail.com


this finch is not deformed. it is suffering from conjunctivitis, a
bird version of "pink eye". this disease is not fatal in itself, but
it weakens the bird by impairing its vision and making it difficult to
find enough to eat. this makes the sick bird more likely to be grabbed
by a predator or susceptible to the elements, especially now that the
weather is getting colder at night.


On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 3:52 AM, Caryn Schutzler <bluedarner1 at seanet.com> wrote:
> Not sure if it's the same one I saw earlier this season, but there's a finch at the feeder (house, I think), female, that has quite a swollen left eye. Looks almost like it's a tumor on it's head. If this is a deformity, wouldn't it have been "culled" at the nest?
>
> Still had a good appetite! :)
>
> Caryn / Wedgwood
>
>
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