Robin with permanently open beak, unable to fly

A few days ago I found a robin near my house in a very poor condition. It seemed unable to fly, as it huddled on the pavement by the fence when I approached it, and made little attempt to hop away. It also seemed unable to close its beak. I attempted to shelter it with my hat and gave it some water and seeds (which it showed no interest in, presumably because it could not move its beak to eat or drink). Sadly, the robin was no longer alive when I checked on it the next day.

Naturally, I was very upset at the death of the robin I had tried to care for, so I wanted to ask why it might have been showing these symptoms, and what should I do if something like this happens again?

  • It sounds like Trichomoniasis. Most commonly seen in Greenfinches but can affect any bird. It's a protozoan that tends to thrive in damp and muggy conditions. If you are feeding birds in a garden it's most important to clean feeders regularly including seed spilt onto the ground around hanging feeders. Some birds like Greenfinches are messy eaters and tend to split seed all over the place and if they are infected that is how the disease can be spread. It's recommended that if you have an outbreak all feeders and sources of water are removed. Sorry to not have better news