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Subject:

Re: Fat Bird!!

From:

"J. Steven Huy"

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Thu, 9 Dec 2004 23:53:57 -0500

A bird puffed like this is indeed trying to keep warm.  But in normal 
conditions they shouldn't need to.  They will return the feathers to a 
normal streamlined position so they can fly. And if just keeping warm the 
eyes are usually still open and alert.  The photo shows half closed eyes. 
 Not a good sign.  The bird is probably somehow weakened and cold.  It 
could very well just not have had enough to eat the previous day and its 
furnace ran out of fuel overnight.  These tiny creatures live in a delicate 
balance and a missed meal combined with a cold night can be very dangerous 
to them.

The fact that it is eating is a good sign.  A sick or injured bird often 
can't or won't eat.  Hopefully this one will stoke the furnace, soak up 
some sun, and get warm.

J. Steven Huy
Middletown, MD, USA


-----Original Message-----
From:	Leslie & Roger [SMTP:]
Sent:	Thursday, 09 December, 2004 20:04
To:	
Subject:	Re: [MDOSPREY] Fat Bird!!

I saw a Goldfinch like this at one of my feeders the other day.  I don't
believe he was sick as yours appears to be.  When he readied himself to
fly away, he looked completely normal.  I think he was just keeping warm
while he was feeding on the thistle feeder.

Sarah Anderson wrote:

>Thought you might get a kick out of this.  Look at this  bird!  I'm 99%
>certain it's a goldfinch like the others in the photo but  it's SO FAT its 
features
>are a bit distorted.  It needs to spend  some quality flying time .... 
away
>from the feeder!   LOL!
>
>_http://www.pbase.com/sarahbee/fatfinch_
>(http://www.pbase.com/sarahbee/fatfinch)
>
>
>Sarah
>Cabin John, MD
>BirdNerd3 at  a*o*l*c*o*m
>www.pbase.com/sarahbee
>
>
>