Bewick's Wren

What an odd bill for a Bewick's Wren.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/porkphoto/96886​58415/

Is this bird injured or is that bill normal? It looks like an injury to me and it does not look very efficient for feeding either.

Is that normal or a birth defect?

This is the frame just prior. This bird cannot peck straight on, it has to cock its head because the bill "crosses" and therefore cannot pick at the tip. It looks very healthy so I must thinks its doing all right feeding-wise. Attracting a mate might be problematic, I wish it good luck . We need comments from the experts.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/porkphoto/10106​799725/

Great shot and I would say that is an injury of some sort.

butterfly2937 wrote in post #16348563
Is this bird injured or is that bill normal? It looks like an injury to me and it does not look very efficient for feeding either.

2n10 wrote in post #16349143
Great shot and I would say that is an injury of some sort.

An injury might have caused the crossing of the upper bill with the lower. The extraordinary length compared to a normal wren is puzzling. It looks like the bill belongs on a Thrasher.

I'll go back and try to locate it again and get more photos. Had I realized what I had stumbled upon, I would have shot more. Oh well...

A genetic problem, a while back there were a lot of Crows and Chickadees in Alaska with this problem. Lots of debate why, likely due to us. At least that's what I remember. Somehow like this one they survive.