Seward, AK
My recent report generated interest from USFWS, NOAA Fisheries, International Bird Rescue, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other scientists and organizations in Anchorage, Oregon, California, and as far away as Midway Atoll NWR and SE Tasmania, thanks to a link to the Pacific Seabird Group.
Deformed bills, also known as Avian Keratin Disorder (AKD), in land species such as chickadees, ravens and crows are well documented. Deformed bills in seabirds are not common or, perhaps, not commonly observed.
Some of the seabird deformities noted were the result of healed injuries (trauma). AKD in seabirds is poorly studied but may be linked to a previously unknown virus, the Poecivirus, as is the case with landbirds, and other causes.
A consensus has not been reached on the cause of bill deformities in seabirds, but marine bird observers agreed on the importance of looking more closely during surveys. “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
Thanks to Dave P for these links:
https://feederwatch.org/learn/articles/deformed-bills-alaska/
The USGS website has more information on AKD research primarily on land birds at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center/science/beak-deformities-landbirds
Here’s a link to report Beak Deformity and Banded Bird Observations:
https://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/landbirds/beak_deformity/observerreport.php
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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