Crow losing feathers

smurfchops | 10:03 Thu 02nd Jun 2011 | Animals & Nature

16 Answers

We have a crow that comes in our garden a lot to feed, he has no feathers at all on his tummy or legs and when he flies off, no feathers between his wings. He seems to feed OK and fly. What could it be? He seems to have less and less every day.

lion

a spider that rolls into a ball?

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ChuckFickens

Birds do moult just like cats and dogs.

Graham-W

Also, some birds pluck their own feathers to "feather their nest".

smurfchops

Question Author

It looks to evenly spread to be plucked out at random, his whole tummy and its getting worse between his wings. - he can't reach there !

mccfluff

maybe he has some kind of mite problem, poor thing

smurfchops

Question Author

That's what I thought, mcfluff, although none of the other crows seem to have it. Could it be a type of mange ?

carmalee

I goggled mites or mange in wild birds and got what looked like useful sites up but can't get the link to post properly - maybe if you try.

mccfluff

http://www.avianweb.com/mites.html

this one carmalee?

carmalee

no it wasn't that one McCluff - that looks a goody though - I literally typed the words mites or mange in wild birds - I'm sure smurfchops will make a plan.

wildwood

Don't laugh, it could have become addicted to anting. Many birds of the Corvus genus pick up ants and put them in their plumage so they get rid of mites and other external parasites. This apparently pleasant feeling can become addictive so they do it just for the hell of it.

They do the same with cigarette butts and even burning paper, and even stand over smoking chimney pots. This has given rise to the Phoenix fable.

Other birds like to sunbath to get rid of parasites.

smurfchops

Question Author

Well it seems that Mr Crow could be Ms Crow. He/she just came on the lawn with a 'chick' trying to feed from her. Could the chick have been plucking the feathers?

mdenning

I have had crows before that have been injured etc. and many times they would lose their feathers in early Spring/Summer - they all got their feathers back in time, but it does look peculiar - I still have two pet magpies and before anyone says its cruel, one has only one leg and one cannot fly higher than 4 feet off the ground - had them 20 odd years. They both pluck the feathers from round their necks every year at this time but they do grow back. Crows do suffer some a condition called "whitefeather" too, which makes the feathers break off and then they pluck out the rest of the shaft