Chaffinch (UK) (1 Viewer)

[studh]

Took this Chaffinch today. I have posted a highly cropped image - look at its feet. Any idea whats wrong. It seems like some type of growth. The bird didn't seem distressed.

Stu.

 

[DaveN]

Could be avian pox, a kind of warts virus.

 

[PhilW]

It has scaly leg casued by a sub-cutaneous itch mite (Sarcoptidae). probably Cnemidocptes mutans. Its pretty common in Chaffinches for some reason.

 

[DaveN]

Just found these links too which could be of help.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1181823

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=28272

 

[KnockerNorton]

It's not scaly-leg (which is quite rare in wild birds), it's avian pox - one of the herpes viruses. Scaly-leg results in thickening and lifting of the foot scales. Avian pox results in these extrusions and warty growths (esp clear on the left leg in pic).

It's highly contagious to other birds, often crops up in late summer, and there's bugger all you can do about it I'm afraid. Cleaning your feeders etc wont do any good, as the virus is tough. The birds sometimes recover, but usually lose the feet.

 

[Watts]

Took this Chaffinch today. I have posted a highly cropped image - look at its feet. Any idea whats wrong. It seems like some type of growth. The bird didn't seem distressed.

Stu.

Could be avain pox as suggested but I would have thought papillomavirus is the most likely explanation. To quote from the BTO website (http://www.bto.org/gbw/hygiene/diseases/warts.htm)

"Another cause of warty growths is the Fringilla papillomavirus which affects Chaffinches and Bramblings. These growths may vary in size from small nodules to larger warts that engulf the whole leg. The warts develop slowly over a long period and affected individuals may otherwise appear quite healthy. Some individuals may become lame or lose affected digits."

Bill

 

[KnockerNorton]

Could be avain pox as suggested but I would have thought papillomavirus is the most likely explanation. To quote from the BTO website (http://www.bto.org/gbw/hygiene/diseases/warts.htm)

"Another cause of warty growths is the Fringilla papillomavirus which affects Chaffinches and Bramblings. These growths may vary in size from small nodules to larger warts that engulf the whole leg. The warts develop slowly over a long period and affected individuals may otherwise appear quite healthy. Some individuals may become lame or lose affected digits."

Bill

quite right - I muddled them up (late night posting, brain not in gear!). Avian pox also often affects the face and generates warts, but papilloma is mostly on the legs and creates those little horny growths. Herpes pox and papilloma are in the same general groups of viruses that affect birds and mammals.