Deformed Godwit beak

["Steve Holliday" <>]

2 out of 2!

From: Mark Clayton [
Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 9:59 PM
To: 'Steve Holliday';
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Deformed Godwit beak

 

Good evening all,

How about two Great Knot and a Black-tailed Godwit!?!

Mark

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From: Steve Holliday [
Sent: Thursday, 7 January 2010 12:51 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Deformed Godwit beak

 

Hi Denis

Not a deformity – a flexible upper mandible is found in many waders. A message on Birding-Aus alerted me to this excellent webpage http://www.sunbittern.com/gallery-rhynchokinesis.html discussing this ability.

Anyone like to identify the other two wader species in the original photo?

cheers

Steve

 

 

From: Denis Wilson [
Sent: Wednesday, 6 January 2010 1:23 AM
To: COG bird discussions
Subject: [canberrabirds] Deformed Godwit beak

 

Dear COG list members.

 

Sorry that this is NOT a local issue, but can anyone explain what is happening with the bird featured in a North Queensland Birder's Blog?

http://northqldbirder.com/2010/01/deformed-godwits/

 

The upper mandible is clearly bent upwards, away from the lower mandible.

How could it possibly probe into the mud, in the normal manner?

 

As they are migratory birds, I cannot imagine how this bird survived for the period of time required to travel around the Pacific Ocean, if it is a genetic deformity?

 

The author claims to have seen this several times, but does not document that claim.

 

Cheers

 

Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com