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Birdchick Blog: Does This Female Cardinal's Beak Look Goofy?

Monday, December 03, 2007

Does This Female Cardinal's Beak Look Goofy?

I got some photos of female cardinals at Hyland Park the other day and the beak looks strange. At first, I noticed the smudge on the beak. It looks like she's been eating berries. Here's a close up:

That looks like berry juice, don't you think?

Then she turned her head and it looks like the beak is bent awkwardly. Here it is up close:

So, I'm wondering if there is something wrong with the beak or is she maybe missing some black feathers that would normally be covering that patch up.

Here is another female cardinal head on, I took this photo the same day, her beak looks okay, but she appears to have more black feathers around it.

Here's a head on shot of a female cardinal that I took last winter and it doesn't appear to have that bump.

I wonder, is this just the way her beak has been growing or did she fly into something?

And once again, a bird leaves me with more questions than answers.

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7 Comments:

Blogger Liz Jones said...

I don't know, but the subtext in that last shot is pretty clear.;o)

12/03/2007 5:12 PM  
Blogger Peggy said...

I know she's a cardinal but she doesn't look very cardinal-like. She looks more like a tufted tit-mouse that has had red streaks put in her tail to piss off her parents than a female cardinal. Maybe it's a young one that was hatched waaaay late in the season.

12/03/2007 5:14 PM  
Blogger Jess said...

It looks to me-- in my inexpert, kitchen-window-birdwatcher's guesstimation-- like berry goo, and maybe that her beak's just casting funny shadows on her face which make it look like it's bent. But that could be wishful thinking. Can bird beaks bruise? (Say that five times fast.)

12/03/2007 5:35 PM  
Blogger Phelony Jones said...

She has one heckuva disapproval going on

12/03/2007 7:47 PM  
Blogger dguzman said...

definite disapproval (and maybe a "get offa my lawn!") from that last one. Ouch.

12/04/2007 10:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I live in Virginia Beach and found a blue feather the other day. The underside is colored yellow. I've looked on line and can not find what type of bird this feather belongs to. (I found it on 12-01-07).

Just curious?!

12/11/2007 8:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

its beak does look wierd to me !:-.)

12/05/2008 3:04 PM  

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