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This stock dove, along with a couple of others, is a regular visitor to our garden here in Cheshire. None of the others have what I am assuming is a very prominent crop. None of my bird books or any postings or pictures on the internet that I have so far found make any reference to this being a normal appearance. The bird seems perfectly well, has been a regular visitor for weeks and certainly eats plenty as do it's companions, yet none of the others have this bulging crop. Anyone else seen this sort of thing? If it's normal I can't understand why I can find no reference to it.
That doesn't look good. I've never seen any sort of pigeon/dove with that. It almost looks like a tumour although I have no vetinary knowledge. Also, It looks as though the upper mandible is broken as well as the tip of the lower mandible. I wonder what's happened to it.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Thanks TeeJay. If it's an abnormality, that would certainly explain why I could find no reference to it in normal descriptions. As regards the mandible, I haven't noticed anything. It appears to have no difficulty whatsoever feeding and to all intents and purposes behaves as a healthy individual. I wonder if it's the effect on my photo of the bill seen against the 'tumour'. It comes many times each day so I'll try and get a better look next time. Thanks for your response.
Could be a crop that has become 'congested'?
Hi tuwit. Thanks for your input. I think that's pretty much what I'd wondered though it very actively feeds, happily sparring with the wood pigeons to get the seed the other birds scatter from the feeders. It's only the magpies and squirrels that seem to scare it - and the Robin of course!