Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

[Nathaniel]

IMG_5155 by Nathaniel Ramanaden, on Flickr

IMG_5156 by Nathaniel Ramanaden, on Flickr

IMG_5157 by Nathaniel Ramanaden, on Flickr

[Trev B]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Nat it's not injured, it's a virus known as Fringilla papillomavirus it also affects a Brambling's

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Trev. Will this virus finally kill the bird or is it something which will sort itself out in time?

[Trev B]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

It is treatable but obviously you have to catch the bird - this alone may be enough to kill it.
Whether it kills them is not quite clear, it can in some instance make them very lame which could result in them not being able to feed.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Trev. First time I have seen this.

[ctrollen]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Poor little fella. Good shots with a nice background

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Chris. It was only after I downloaded the pictures that I noticed the virus.

[pelliott1954]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Well caught Nat, foot looks awful

Regards Paul

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Paul.

[tesarver]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Nice set Nat

Tom

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Tom. The more I look at the photos the more sorry I feel for the bird!!!

[TonyT]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Nat I see lots of them with it, it is very invasive.
I will post a few images if you do not mind tonight, I often see it on Chaffinches, Pied wagtails etc, there are quite a few at Calke Abbey and a lot worse than that, I started noting it when a couple of the Chaffinches were hover taxying over to the food under the feeders, not being able to walk properly meant they were having to fly too, hover and land by food.
The fact the feeders are there is probably the only reason they are surviving, because they are wasting energy and hence need a greater food intake due to flying everywhere, out in the wild wild they would simply not be able to sustain a food intake to offset the energy used, especially in winter.

Some of the ones I have photographed are far far worse than that, and I feel the same for the poor little things..

[Nathaniel]

Re: Chaffinch with injured leg!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Tony. Please do. This is the first time I have seen this sort of virus on any bird.