Injured Spoonbill

[Mike Landwehr]

While photographing spoonbills with Jim Shadle last April, Jim and I observed a spoonbill which was apparently living a reasonably normal life with the results of a serious injury. If the obvious disability was, indeed, the result of an injury, I'm amazed that he survived. Any thoughts on what might have happened to him--banding injury, alligator, ???

[John Chardine]

Difficult to say what happened Mike. I can say that birds seem to be able to survive and prosper with leg injuries including complete loss. You may find that birds like this are not in as good body condition as "normal" birds, and they may not get mates and breed, but they survive.