[obol] Tailless Song Sparrow

[Scott Carpenter]

On Sunday, while on the Columbia River between the I-5 and I-205 bridges, I
saw a Glaucous-winged Gull in flight with no tail.  A first for me.  The
gulls legs were extended back as usual, giving it a rather unusual
appearance.

I've seen tailless Song Sparrows a handful of times in or near urban areas
over the past 10 years, and it was usually in late summer/early fall.  I
always assumed it was young birds with near misses with a cat or other
pouncing mammal, but have no evidence to support that.

Scott Carpenter
SW Portland


On 7/9/06, Dennis P. Vroman <dpvroman at budget.net> wrote:
>
> Wayne and Others,
>
> If a bander has been at it for very long, it would be unusual for them not
> to have captured a tail-less bird.  Have captured some, but not sure what
> the frequency of encounter would be, likely a pretty low number.  My
> recollection is those species that spend a high percentage of time on or
> near the ground are more apt to be missing an entire tail.
>
> A quick look at this years captures found one "tailless" bird (a Second
> Year
> Lesser Goldfinch male) out of 232 captures so far.  Percentage would be
> about 0.004.
>
> Dennis
>
> > Few birds normally molt their whole tails at once.  Normally missing a
> > whole tail is evidence of a close encounter with an accipiter or other
> > predator. There seems to be some evidence that some birds can "loosen"
> > their rectrices when the tail is grabbed, to make loss easier and
> > facilitate escape.  Sort of parallel to the abcission zone in lizards'
> > tails that makes loss easy, again to facilitate escape.  loss of
> feathers
> > normally stimulates growth of replacements, so these Song Sparrows
> should
> > have new tails in remarkably short order.  I wohder if Mike patterson,
> > Dennis Vroman, or other banders have info on frequency of birds with
> tails
> > out of plumage sequence (fresh tails with otherwise worn plumage)?
> >
> > Wayne
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Alan Reid" <areid at nu-world.com>
> > To: "Hannah Fritz" <hannahlee at opusnet.com>; <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
> > Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 10:29 PM
> > Subject: Re: [obol] Tailless Song Sparrow
> >
> >
> >>I qaalso have had a Song Sparrow without a tail for a few days, also a
> >>Scrub Jay ditto.  Molting?
> >>
> >> Alan Reid  areid at nu-world.com
> >> 2 miles below Leaburg
> >> on the McKenzie Hwy.
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Hannah Fritz" <hannahlee at opusnet.com>
> >> To: <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
> >> Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 12:36 PM
> >> Subject: [obol] Tailless Song Sparrow
> >>
> >>
> >>> There is a Song Sparrow that's been hanging about our lilac bushes and
> >>> singing on some fence posts for the last few days--or maybe longer,
> but
> >>> I've
> >>> only just started noticing it because it has no tail. It has a stub
> >>> which
> >>> may be the overlay of the wings, but no long rectrices.
> >>>
> >>> In other respects, it sings up a storm, picks at our sunflower seeds,
> >>> and
> >>> harrasses the House Sparrows.
> >>>
> >>> Why could it be missing its tail feathers? Is it young, sick, or some
> >>> kind
> >>> of stress molt? Something else?
> >>>
> >>> Swung by the "owl fiels" in Scappoose Bottoms on the way back from the
> >>> store
> >>> this morning. Lazuli Buntings, BH Grosbeaks, and Purple Finches
> abound,
> >>> among the other usual suspects.
> >>>
> >>> Hannah
> >>> St. Helens
> >>>
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