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denise ippolito
01-17-2009, 11:21 AM
I did no PP except crop to show a closer view-do you know what's wrong w/ his feathers around his face-Is there anything I could feed if it's some kind of bug.:(

Van Truan
01-17-2009, 11:27 AM
Possible Avian Pox. It is common in house finches

denise ippolito
01-17-2009, 11:47 AM
Anything I can do-I've noticed a slight bit on another one.

Daniel Cadieux
01-17-2009, 11:51 AM
Could simply be molting. Some species, such as Cardinals and Jays will molt once in a while. They may look sick, odd, even comical at times when this happens (like mini vultures - no feathers on the head at all). Usually when they are diseased the eye is swollen, spewing puss, or completely shut. This guy, except for a few missing feathers, looks healthy IMO.

Daniel Cadieux
01-17-2009, 11:53 AM
Anything I can do-I've noticed a slight bit on another one.

If you do suspect disease the best thing to do is take down your feeders and clean them thoroughly (if you have some). Put them back up after a week or so. Short of catching them and bringing them to appropriate rehabilitators I'm not sure there is much else you can do.

denise ippolito
01-17-2009, 11:53 AM
Thank Goodness! I love these guys and would hate to think they had a disease!
I clean my feeders regularly-

James Prudente
01-17-2009, 12:54 PM
If you have a water feature for the birds be sure to scrub it out with a bleach solution and let it dry thoroughly for a couple of days before putting it back in use.

Jim

denise ippolito
01-17-2009, 02:28 PM
I don't have water my Birdbath is frozen .Temps of 8 degrees last nite. My pond is frozen over also.

The Scavenger
01-18-2009, 12:24 AM
IMHO it appears to be molting. It's not uncommon for Cardinals to even lose all their head feathers at once & the skin underneath is black. Check out this article at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/BaldBirds.htm .

Wayne Richardson
01-18-2009, 04:53 AM
Hi Denise

Moulting is very stressful for any bird, so usually undertaken during times of plentiful food & favourable weather conditions. Most Northern Hemisphere passerines (perching birds) moult in the summer, i.e. after the breeding season. This basically what the Cornell link states.

A Cardinal 'moulting' in winter is either sick or injured. Its survival chances are very much lower than fully feathered individuals, not only from extreme low temperatures, but also as a 1st choice target by birds of prey.

Cheers: Wayne

John Chardine
01-18-2009, 07:03 AM
Good thread. I'll add a couple of points. Avian pox tends to show up as lesions on the legs and feet. I haven't heard of it causing problems around the head. The bird does look rather peculiar around the head but I think it's a case of capturing a strange expression "on film". It could be a lesion on the face causing swelling, thereby expanding and exposing the skin.

There are exceptions but many bird species go through two moults a year, however, they are not complete. Agree with Wayne that it can be a very stressful time for them. The flight feathers are replaced once per year usually starting in mid-summer through fall. The body moults twice per year. Once to bring the bird into breeding or "Alternate" plumage and once to return it to its non-breeding/winter or "Basic" plumage.

denise ippolito
01-18-2009, 09:21 AM
The Scavenger, Thankyou I read the article-maybe it's lice.Do you know anything about Diatomaceous Earth?

Wayne, John, Do you think it could be mites or lice and would that Diatomaceous Earth work?
We've had temps drop to 8 degrees I feel it would be unnatural to molt during extreme conditions,I now have approx.8 male and an un-countable amount of female cardinals at my feeders-I feed black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seeds,Audobon mix,and asst suets for the woodpeckers.

James Prudente
01-18-2009, 01:33 PM
Another possibility is the onset of conjunctivitis. It is wide-spread in House Finches and is seen in some other species. I do not have first hand knowledge of it occurring in Northern Cardinals. It has also been found in American Goldfinches, Purple Finches, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Grosbeaks, all members of the family Fringillidae.

Jim

denise ippolito
01-18-2009, 04:11 PM
Thanks everyone, I'll keep an eye on him and give a report back. Once again thankyou all!

Sue Thomson
01-30-2009, 01:11 PM
I also have pics of a bird at my feeders last spring/summer and it was very disfigured on its face. I took pics (very poor ones) - is it proper to post them in this thread - or should I start another of my own? It does seem to fit with this one, since all the info is here already.

Cheers,
Sue

John Chardine
01-30-2009, 03:10 PM
Either way is fine Sue. This thread is getting old now so maybe starting a new one and referring to this one would be appropriate.