Avian Pox?

Hi Joe

I'm not an expert so not sure but it could well be Avian Pox.

I've found this on the internet. hollowhappenings.blogspot.com/.../pox-on-your-raven.html

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In reply to Alan.:

Thanks Alan, not good news for this bird, & could spread to the rest of the Crows & other birds.

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Your picture was taken on a beach Joe, so lets hope it does not spread as much as it could :( 

Jim

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Just an update on this Crow, I photographed the same bird this morning & it was good to see it's feet are looking a lot better, so it looks like it wasn't Avian Pox after all?, still would like to know exactly what the problem was.

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That's good to see Joe, I wonder if it was just normal wear and tear on it's feet.

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Hi Alan, definitely not normal wear & tear, it was growths breaking though the skin.

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In reply to Joem:

Hi Joem,   I'm pleased to see that the crow and it's feet are looking so much better;  birds can often recover from the contagious Avian Pox even when it is in a much more advanced state so I wouldn't entirely rule that fact out although I can't tell you whether that AP was the original cause,   just good to see the bird recovering well and thanks for the update.        

Out of interest we had a Great Tit with severe Avian Pox back at the end of 2018, beginning 2019 and when I showed this photo to a qualified birding expert he told me that even when this bad the bird could still go on to recover as he had absolute proof of one case  - which I found amazing and at the same time was very relieved to hear.    To be honest I haven't seen signs of AP for well over a month so maybe the bird did recover but I have no way of knowing for sure.     When two or more cases are seen like this then it is best to remove all forms of feeders/food and water trays from the garden for at least one month;   I left mine off for 6 weeks as we had two birds with this disease.

I refrained before from posting up a photo of this Great Tit as most people could find it too distressing to see but as now I understand that they can recover totally I will show you how bad this particular case looked  ......      the lump near its eye is also Avian Pox

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Regards, Hazel 

"Each kindness shown to birds or men is sure to flutter back again" 

Hi Hazel, it's good to know that it is possible for some birds to recover from this terrible disease, I hope your GT pulled through, that looks very nasty.

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