Hi this one and only Blue Tit chick was first noticed about 3 weeks ago with its parents and flies about and is able to feed itself. Long term prognosis!
Hi LogPile,
Poor little thing wonder If It's mites or something like that.At least It Is feeding and flying around on It's own so It might be ok.Another member on here posted pics of a Bluetit with no head feathers but I think they started to grow back and It was fine.Keep us updated on any progress.
Littleowl
Hi guys- remember to always clean out your nest box in the winter :)
S
Hi Logpile,
Poor little thing, and I agree it does look like mites. They can recover on their own eventually, but must feel very uncomfortable. As long as he is self sufficient he should be OK. I do hope so.
Hi Guys thanks for the responses but the fellow looks like he's completely missing the top of his head.
HI Logpile
Bless it's heart, what a sorry looking bird he is. You would know better than us as you see him with your naked eye, but does he look like he has little head purely because of its lack of covering in context with the rest of it's body which seems to be fully feathered?
Iv'e looked back through previous posts and It was Chez who posted "A picture of Punky the Bluetit" that was posted 8th March and he had no feathers on his head at all.Might be worth a read through.
Hi Kezmo
The best description that I can think of is that the top of his head has been sliced off, bit dramatic I know but have a look at the parents cranium and then his. I suspect a genetic flaw as he is the only youngster I have seen in the garden with the parents whereas normally they would be into double figures in a family group. Re the feathers they appear a mixture of down and adult plumage giving him a hazy outline.
Hi LogPile
Perhaps if the parents are feeding and Flathead is eating well then there could be a chance he/she will survive as long as it is able to feed itself when the time comes. My only question would be whether it would survive it's first winter. I read an article recently where it stated that a bluetit on average lives between a 1 and 1 1/2 years old! which is so sad, although blue tits survive better in a garden that has a plentiful supply of bird feed than in its natural woodland habitat which I should imagine is the case with most woodland birds.
I've posted on another thread recently where we had a blackbird with a funny shaped head, like a monkey nut, deep indents on either side of the head near the eyes. This was quite a few years ago but we still see descendants now in the garden.
I do so hope Flathead survives, perhaps you could post updates to let us know how it is getting on?
He's still on the go flying about on his own looking as if he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.
LogPile said: Hi this one and only Blue Tit chick was first noticed about 3 weeks ago with its parents and flies about and is able to feed itself. Long term prognosis!