Hello everyone. I first spotted this coal tit in our garden about a year ago and managed to take some photos of it yesterday. I thought it had part of its left leg missing, but looking at the photos it seems its leg is fine, it just doesn't have toes on that leg.
Was it injured or did its toes not develop properly?
The coal tit seems fine, I'm just curious.
The first photo is a bit blurry, but it's the only one where you can see its left leg.
It can't bend over properly to pick things up while perching the way other birds do. So it can't access the water bowl we put out. It drinks from the bird bath though by leaning down the sloped edge on its left leg. I find it fascinating to watch. It appears to use our peanut feeder by gripping it with its right leg and holding its body right up against it to balance. It's also very cute :)