The Will to Survive

I happened across this female Great Tailed Grackle the other day at a local recreation center. What drew my attention was the way she was moving/hopping and that she showed little fear. Then I noticed she only had one leg. Occasionally, I could see a bit of a stump on her right side as it protruded from the feathers. I suspect this was a birth defect rather than some unfortunate accident but either way, I was left with admiration for this little lady and her will to survive.

Nice shot with the evil look! I shared a photo of an American Goldfinch a couple of years ago with one leg. I didn't even realize one leg was missing until I zoomed in on the photos on my computer!

Imagine the attitude on this one...lol

Thanks fellas ... she really did have a softer side to her. I will try to portray that side here in a little while

Lovely capture, poor thing.

Thanks Lester.

By comparison, I might consider this her softer side ... well at least it is a less than "angry bird" pose.

It's a nice shot, even without knowing it is one legged.

Thank you Crimzon. I have found that both the male and female Grackle have a certain beauty. They can be quite the pest however, when gathering in large numbers. The occasional one or two passing through, I don't mind so much.

That is one angry bird. Great captures.