Seward, Alaska
The female KING EIDER paddled on the west side of Resurrection Bay this afternoon by Spring Creek Beach, spotted by alert birders Deb and Dan. It then disappeared behind the SMIC breakwater, overseen by a GREAT BLUE HERON hunkered down in the rocks. HARLEQUIN DUCKS, HORNED GREBES, COMMON MERGANSERS, PELAGIC CORMORANTS, and two COMMON LOONS fed in the calm nearshore waters.
That was the good news.
The bad news is an AMERICAN CROW (formerly Northwestern Crow) with a deformed bill at the harbor Uplands (by the Mariner’s Memorial.) The upper mandible is starting to cross over the long lower mandible. Apparently, this deformity makes preening difficult; the feathers around its legs look like bloomers, loose and unkempt.
It’s been several years since the virus attacked our waterfront Crows; the birds were studied and color banded. I hope this is an isolated case, but it’s worth checking the other Crows’ bills.
Report beak deformities and banded birds at USGS:
https://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/landbirds/beak_deformity/observerreport.php
Happier Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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