I am not sure why this local population of alien mute swans (they are European in origin and should not be here) are having bill deformities. Perhaps they are inbreeding-and a recessive trait is showing up, or there is a nutritional deficit. I originally thought they were injuries but they seem more like deformities. Hmmm....
2 comments:
they may not, in fact, be aliens, just a breed that died out or was hunted to extinction. i think they are - or were - native to the kamchatka peninsula, which is relatively close to north america, and there are fossil records supporting the idea that they were once native to ameroca.
True, they may be re-populating a former range, but there is so much controversy over them here. Some say oil the eggs and get rid of them (the jet skiers get attacked by them-go swans!). Others say let them stay because they are so beautiful. We have so many in the US now they will probably be in the resident status soon, like Starlings.
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