[wisb] Re: Finally back!!! And a Red Crossbill??

So...the consensus is a female Brown-headed Cowbird with a bill deformity. With 
a little bit of research I now know that this happens in .05% of the 
population, which is somewhat rare. In an evolutionary sense, it could happen 
because a young bird may not be able to forage or preen correctly. Although, 
alot of the literature says it can happen for three reasons: 1. exposure to 
chemicals 2. mutation and 3. injury. I guess its true, you do learn something 
new everyday. Thanks for everybody's input!

Alex Stark, Prairie du Chien


-----Original Message-----
From: "Alexander R Stark" <starkal@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:18:32 -0500
Subject: [wisb] Finally back!!! And a Red Crossbill??

Hello all!!!
I'm finally back in Wisconsin after a month of being in the canadian bush. I 
was working a bird banding job for Bird Studies Canada. There was no phone, 
internet or roads to the banding station...but it was amazing! Some of the 
highlights were: Parasitic Jaeger, Franklins Gull (2), a white-winged dove 
(which we banded), a Red-headed woodpecker (which we banded), a Red-bellied 
Woodpecker, a Black-billed Magpie, a Blue Grosbeak (which we banded), a 
Grasshoppper Sparrow, a Lark Sparrow (which we banded), a Pink-sided Junco 
(also banded), a Chestnut-collared Longspur (you got it, banded), and two 
Orchard Orioles (we banded one of them). Not to mention the 25 species of 
warblers I was able to get my hands on.

One of the first birds I found on my feeder the next morning I got home, 
actually this morning, I think may be a Red Crossbill. It looks as if its beak 
is broken on the lower mandible, but the color is really throwing me off. If 
anybody can help me ID the bird here is a link for one of the many pictures I 
took. Thanks for the help!

http://s652.photobucket.com/albums/uu241/starkdude/?action=edit¤t=CSC_0455.jpg

Happy Birding!
Alex Stark, Prairie du Chien

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