Hunting and Fauna: ANUU Migratorists, a study on physical malformations in wild birds, in most cases not debilitating.
Those who live in contact with nature can happen to observe injured birds or birds with serious malformations and, at times, one wonders: “But how do they survive? Do these diseases prevent birds from feeding or running away? " Several scholars have reported cases of individuals with severe malformations who, despite their handicap, manage to feed and escape. Thanks, then, to the naturalist photographers, we had the opportunity to witness the extraordinary strength of these birds. Some individuals have abnormal growth of certain parts of the body, disfiguring lesions on the legs, legs, wings or head. Some biologists have observed some House pigeons with major injuries, Buzzards with eye injuries or injured finches with part of the upper jaw missing. All the birds, despite their handicaps, showed good health. Many ornithologists agree that a broken or deformed leg can have a relative impact on a bird's health, although they cannot confirm how successful males of any species, with lesions or malformations, are reproductive.
The excessive growth of the beak appears to have little effect on the social life of birds. But how do birds survive? For example, in issue 34 of the AFRING News magazine, biologists Van Stuyvenberg (2005) and Franke (2005) described cases of severely injured birds who escaped when alarmed. The first author observed a blind African Red-tailed Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus) that managed to fly and hunt without problems.
The second author discussed the case of a Collared Bearded (Lybius torquatus), who was apparently injured and with most of his lower jaw missing, but well adapted to natural life. Some individuals, due to this latter problem, are unable to retain saliva which over time causes necrosis at the base of the beak. In addition, their upper jaw wears so much that they lose even the classic pointed shape. Despite significant wear they survive and manage to reproduce. Yet it is very difficult for these individuals to feed.
The subjective qualities of these birds, given by will and determination, and aided by their physical constitution, could be important in explaining their survival. An interesting thesis that enriches the small answers obtained to date on how individuals affected by the misfortune of being born with a malformation manage to survive.
4 December 2013
ANUU Migrators