Crow with a broken beak (1 Viewer)

[Gillian_M]

Hello!

While out birding yesterday I noticed a crow with a distinctly upturned bill. I thought it was odd, but didn't photograph it. Today, on the same road, I saw the same bird again and this time managed to get some good photos of it. The bill isn't upturned, as I had thought - only the bottom half is present, the top half appearing broken off.

I was wondering if anyone had seen anything like this before, and if the bird will be able to survive okay, as I doubt that beaks grow back.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this subject?

Thanks!

 

[KC Foggin]

Oh, the poor thing. I honestly can't seem real hopeful about him surviving with that beak.

 

[mr.sim]

Ouch! That beak looks in a real state. I doubt it will survive long, but you never know. At my old house, we came across a male Blackbird with the top half of its bill twisted the the side at right-angles to its head! We presumed it had hit a window or something. It looked really wierd and I didn't think it had a hope of survival. We named it Twisty and kept watching it for a few days. It developed certain skills for drinking and must have somehow been able to eat. It used its tongue a lot to lap up water like cats do! It was still around for a few months after that, and then again the next year! Needless to say that it is sadly probably no more, as this was a good 5 years back!
Let us know how this bird fares - I will be interested to know. Survival of the fittest I guess...but good luck to it!
How do you think it happpened?!

 

[lmans66]

Well accidents occur....survival of the fittest etc...such is nature and little we can do about it....

 

[Peewit]

Sad to see Gillian - poor thing! :-C

Wonder what happened to the Crow! It must have come a cropper somewhere along the line. :-C

To me it looks although it has wacked into something solid somewhere, and came out worse for ware. I hope it survives, as we all do here on this thread. :t:

We have a Collared Dove with a bent beak (we think it hit a window) and its life was short lived even though I put bird food out. What is it with our modern building and windows. Birds see reflections. and hit the window, and that is their visualistion of life sadly .... :eek!:

 

[Screech]

I saw a Discovery Channel show where someone found a Bald Eagle with a missing top beak; the bird was captured and If I remember correctly' a Dentist made a replacement that was attached with dental epoxy. The bird was kept at a shelter till deemed OK to release back to the Wild. A very lucky BE!

I think the Crow has a slim chance since they "pick" at road kills, corn shoots, etc. and missing an upper mandible, there's nothing to gain purchase on to tear. :-(

How something like that can happen will remain a mystery.

Thanks for the picture.

Just rememberd when I summered up in Dutchess County NY. we spotted a female pheasant with no feet, just stubs tending to a brood of about 6 chicks, she seemed to be having no problem. Might have been severed by a mowing machine during hay season.

Bob

 

[mikfoz]

It's not very likely to survive, alas. Looks like accidental damage and nature is rather cruel in these circumstances. It'll weaken in a few days and get picked off by a predator, more than likely. Probably by another crow.

Birds can often survive badly damaged legs and feet quite well due to the obvious ability to fly about, but without the ability to feed...

 

[Jon Turner]

Here's a pic of a Carrion Crow (Corvus Corone) I caught in my garden in 2006. It was about 2/3rds the size of a normal Crow, but appeared to be in reasonable health, although the state of it's feathers (unable to preen) left a bit to be desired. When I released it, it flew off stongly. Haven't seen it since.

Jon

 

[Aves sunt optimae]

Every fall a family of magpies come to my house for some peanuts, but there was one time where a crow was attracted by all the excitement, so it came down to see what was going on, and it also had the top half of its bill maybe...75% or so broken off. I actually saw it a couple of times over the next couple of weeks, but it disappeared. Makes you wonder how that sort of thing happens. Hit by a car? Who knows

 

[Gillian_M]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't have any idea how it happened, I just happened to notice him two days in a row while driving down the same road looking for larks and longspurs. Very sad to see something like this. With corvids being among the smartest of birds, I'm hoping that it will find a way to survive, though its chances don't look great. If I see the same crow again, I'll let you know.