RTH with Long-billed Hawk Syndrome

This morning Mia and I found this Red-tailed Hawk near Grantsville, Utah with an obvious and very serious bill deformity. A little research strongly suggests that it has Long-billed Hawk Syndrome. There is no known cause. Most affected birds die of starvation so it's a sad situation. Mia has put out some feelers to see if anyone can possibly help this bird. More on my blog if you're interested.

Yes, and it is on my blog too :-)

That is really unpleasant to see. I do know that captive birds need bill reduction from time to time, so if this could be netted by F&G it is a possibility it could be "helped", though perhaps only temporarily.

Too bad. I've seen this with thrashers but never with hawks.

Yes, it is a "long-billed hawk", but this is most definitely not a naturally occurring problem affecting wild, free-living raptors. Notice the polished appearance of the scutes on the anterior surface of both tarso- metatarsi. This is a hawk that was kept jessed and tethered by someone who was totally ignorant of the necessity to keep the upper and lower bill trimmed to normal shape. This degree of overgrowth requires at least 18 to 24 months to attain this length...which mean this red-tailed hawk is at least two years old, an age at which the iris of a wild bird should be a uniform dark brown, that deep pigmentation occurring progressively from the lower extreme of it's circumference to the top consequent upon daily exposure to direct daylight/ sunlight. This bird's iris is incompletely pigmented indicating that it had been kept either indoors or under some cover that prevented it's exposure to sunlight. Also, the beaks of captive raptors maintained free of exposure to the elements tend not to wear with normal use as readily as do the beaks of wild birds or of captive birds daily "weathered" or maintained permanently out-of-doors. The beaks so affected are not showing evidence of "overgrowth"; rather, they result from inadequate wear or the necessary trimming to maintain them in normal configuration. Like fingernail keratin, which grows continually, the beak keratin requires normal wear or trimming to be kept in a normally functional shape. During over 40 years in falconry and as a veterinarian continually called on to examine and treat large numbers of wild and captive raptors I've had numerous opportunities to witness these common results of ignorant management of raptors kept by wannabe falconers and status seekers to whom it is cool to parade with a hawk on the gloved fist. Sadly, some such folk simply release the bird whose problems have interfered with their desire to display it as a status symbol. The red-tail pictured is typical of such unfortunate former mismanaged captives.

Dave Graham, east River, SD

I'm not disputing David's "diagnosis" - just wanted to make clear where I got my suspicions of "Long-billed Hawk Syndrome".http://audubonportland.org/sanctuaries/wcc/research/long-billed

This bird is probably very hungry and I would think a competent falconer with exprience capturing adult raptors (with help and approval by F&G) would be able to capture this bird so that it can be rehabilitated. Looks like it would be quite a job but the alternative is not good. Good luck.

Sickening, after reading David's information.
Don't falconers have to register and have a license? Can't this criminally neglectful "owner" be found and dealt with?
Sure hope this hawk can get some help..
Please let us know if any of the inquiries get positive responses.
Sandy

As was inevitable, my observations on the initially pictured red-tail elicited a number of comments on several different topics and an illustration  of a beak lesion in a red-tail that is, although similar to the layman's eye, distinctly different in cause to that of the severely distorted un-worn/untrimmed beak of the released captive originally discussed. 

There are several causes of beak lesions that may, among other features, be characterized by being longer than normal and possibly described as "overgrown".  The bottom line is that most diseases affecting a bird's beak can result in it's appearing "overgrown" or "too long".

To be more specific:

Bacterial infections secondary to local tissue injury can lead to damage of the deep epithelial layer that continually  forms the tough, fingernail- like keratin that form the covering of the upper and lower bill.  Fractures and gunshot injuries of the bill are commonly infected and subject to osteomyelitis  and permanent beak damage.

Avian Circoviruses can, among their other serious effects, cause similar damage to the keratin-forming tissues of the beak (and/or of growing feathers). Psittacine circovirus and pigeon circovirus are well characterized in this regard.  The spectrum of other avian species susceptible to such circoviruses is continually under investigation.

Chronic ectoparasite infestations ( most often mange  mites of the genus Cnemidocoptes) of the  skin at the base of the upper bill (the cere) and base of the lower bill commonly result in true "overgrowth"  often accompanied by distortion of the shape of the bill.

Necrosis (death) of tissues of the beak and ends of the toes of seed-eating birds can result from certain seed-borne mycotoxins (ergot toxin  from  rye seeds infected with the Claviceps purpurea fungus) which causes vasoconstriction and infarction (interruption of blood supply) of tissues served by the smallest end-vessels.

Clearly, any  raptor observed with any such deforming beak diseases should, if possible, be caught by persons licensed and competent to do so,  and submitted for competent definitive diagnosis and treatment, if such is possible. Untreated, death by starvation is inevitable.

And Sandy's concern about certification of falconers is pertinent. Falconry is a closely regulated activity requiring both state and federal licensure, passing a fedeal examination on raptor biology, management, captive management, health maintenance, and the legal aspects of capture and possession of native raptors. The aspiring falconer, having received the basic license, must complete at least a one-year apprenticeship under the supervision of an experienced falconer with a General or Master Falconer permit, and the facility in which he or she intends to hold the bird must be inspected before the bird is captured or purchased.

 Unfortunately, there are individuals who come into possession of a raptor and attempt to keep it as a pet or to "rehabilitate" it without the requisite knowledge, experience, training, and licensure. The unfortunate red-tail that occasioned this discussion is typical of the result of such circumstances.

Dave Graham
East River, SD

My wife and a friend spent part of this past weekend trimming the bills and talons of our two educational owls. I agree with David that this particular bird shows clear signs of a failed falconers messing about.

Ron and Mia, I strongly suggest tracking down a local falconer. Or a raptor rehab center. The bird should be hungry, should respond readily to food, and should be lived-trapped with relative ease. An hour or so of work with a Dremel tool and the bill will be closer to normal.

Note that disease and mis-care by amateurs aren't mutually exclusive; in fact, in the case of contagions, the odds may be higher. But if the bird is to survive, it needs some rehabbing. Not to be gloomy, but where you see this kind of bill problem in a falconry bird, you also often find bumblefoot and other complications of the feet and talons. If the bird can be captured, a good physical exam is probably in order.

Jim, I've already been in contact with someone who is qualified to trap the bird and we'll go from there if he can capture it. Depending on his "day job", it could happen today. I'll report back here with any developments, should they occur.

Not Jim, but thanks for this subject and for following through, Ron.

Charlie

Ron, I have never seen anything like this before. Thank you for bringing this to light. And thank you to David for the detailed information on how this can be caused.

After talking to Bud Anderson about this RTH and the Sickle bill, this is what he sent to me:

"I just spoke on the phone with Mia after seeing her very nice photograph of an adult Red-tailed Hawk in Utah with a classic form of long-billed syndrome. She has been getting a fair amount of reponse to this photograph and has asked me to write something about this condition for the readers of her blog. So here goes.

In 1996, we found a recently deceased adult Red-tailed Hawk here in Skagit County, Washington, where I live. It was floating in a drainage ditch and had starved to death. I immediately noticed that it had a grotesque and abnormally long maxilla (the upper beak). It was so long that it curved 180 degrees back in towards the breast of the bird. At the time, I had what in retrospect, was the normal reaction. I thought that it must be some sort of genetic anomaly or something and basically forgot about it over time. And that is a classic reponse I have found. People see it but they forget about it.

Over time, I saw a few more, including in an adult male Rough-leg. But in the early 2000's, we started seeing alot of them and I began to put the word out. Over the next 10 years or so, we came up with around 175 examples in raptors ranging throughout North America, but primarily from Alaska south though California. We saw in mostly in RTHAs but also in accipiters, falcons, eagles and a few owls.

Meanwhile, in Alaska, research biologist Collen Handel had noted a similar, possibly the same, condition in an astonishing number of songbirds, especially Black-capped Chickadees, but certainly not limited to them. Another ornithologist, Julie Craves, had been seeing and studying it in passerines in the Great Lakes region.

To my knowledge, this all began around the mid-90's.

Birds with long bills have been reported in the literature since the early 1900's. What is new are the concentrations of them and the peculiar forms of the beaks, from elongated to overlapping to corkscrew shapes.

Despite the recent attention directed at the syndrome, we still do not know the cause. Is it a pollutant? Is it communicable? Is it caused by a bacteria or virus? No one knows the answer. After 15 years, we are still essentially in the dark. With Mia's bird, we now have a perfect example of the sickle-bill form (the worst) all the way over in Utah and the first I am aware of for that state.

Mia thought about catching this bird to help it out, a natural impulse from a bird person.

However, I have advised her not to do so. Unfortunately, for this bird, it is too late. Even if they caught the bird and trimmed or coped its beak it would do no good. X-rays have shown that in this particular sickel-billed form involving both the maxilla and the mandible, that the bone underlying the keratin sheathing will have dissolved. Essentially there is no longer any bone structure to support the keratin. Coping would be futile.

Why is all this important? Because it is now being seen in bird species across North America. Aside from the suffering and pain involving the individual birds that contract it, what would happen on a population level if it were to enter the ranks of a threatened, or even worse, an endangered species? Especially, since we can't even say what it is at this point.

So what can you do?

Every time you see such a bird as Mia did, no matter what species, take a photograph, get the date and location and report it to Collen Handel at the Alaska Biological Center or to me at falconresearch@gmail.com.





--
Bud Anderson
Falcon Research Group
Box 248
Bow, WA 98232
(360) 757-1911
falconresearch@gmail.com

Thanks, Mia, for relaying Bud Anderson's report.

Colleen Handel's work on Black-capped Chickadee bill deformation is very well-known in Alaska. I didn't realize she had moved beyond chickadees. I also had not known that coping/reducing the bill size was impossible in larger birds. It does work in chickadees, although it's a temporary solution.

When I last spoke with her, Colleen was unsure whether the rate of bill deformities was up or the rate of observation was up. I know she was deeply frustrated at not being able to find a cause of the deformities.

Jim, it is not always impossible with larger birds, some of the raptors affected by long bill syndrome can have their bills trimmed and it helps, though it can reoccur. With the Sickle bill form though it damages the bones that support the bill.

It makes me sad that nothing can be done for this beautiful raptor but I console myself with the thought that when the hawk dies it is still a part of the cycle of life.

I've sent other images of songbirds will bill deformations to Julie Craves but this was the first raptor I have seen affected by this.

My hope is that this information spreads and educates other birders and bird photographers.

Just so it's clear to everyone, the decision has been made that this bird will not be captured and nature will be allowed to take its course.

Yes, I should have written that, sorry Ron.

I'm sure that those on site have the best feel for the way forward. It is sad to hear, however, that the bird, alone, will be left to deal with this.

Charlie

I read this thread with great interest this morning, and am sorry to hear that nothing will be done. I thought the bird looked too thin and sickly. I hope that they catch whoever held this hawk in captivity(if that is the cause), and slap him heavily with fines/jail time. If it is the other "long-billed syndrome", I surely hope Mia and Ron will keep us posted if they hear any more regarding this horrible debilitation. Sharon

Wouldn't it be more beneficial to trap and study the bird briefly, then euthanize it, rather than leave it to die a slow death by starvation, and not contributing at all to scientific information?

Sandy

I'm a bit confused by this thread. David Graham gave a very expert opinion on the condition of the bird based on his experience as both a vet and a falconer and what he observed in the photo. At that time, capture seemed like a reasonable thing to do. However, based on the work from Alaska, we now have another scenario which has a strong biological basis. And that is how it should be. What I am puzzled by is how the diagnosis for this bird changed 180 degrees. To me, the evidence still points to improper care of this bird while in captivity. Is there additional information that hasn't been shared or am I missing something? Peter

Peter, no one knows what causes the bill deformities. My first guess: this was indeed a captive bird, legally or illegally, and when the bill condition started to develop it, rather than deal with it, the falconer released the bird. My second guess would be that there was something in the falconer's treatment of the bird that caused the bill deformity, but that's even wilder speculation.

I don't know if the decision to allow things to take their natural course is final but have this thought. Since it appears that the real cause is not known regarding the mentioned syndrome, then every case of that syndrome that can be examined and treated is a potential for new knowledge and cure.

If the bird were to be captured and studied and treated and kept in captivity I don't see how there's any danger of it contributing to the spread of the disease.

Peter, Sandy and Charlie - There's no "additional information that hasn't been shared" that I'm aware of. We contacted three organizations/individuals about this bird - HawkWatch International (headquartered in Utah - we know and have confidence in these folks), the Falcon Research Group and the person who is licensed to bal-chatri trap raptors. They are unanimous in the conclusion that the best course of action is to do nothing at all in this case.

Great job then, Ron and Mia, in doing all that was possible for this poor bird.

Sandy

Yes I must say too that Ron and Mia handled their end regarding this bird as sympathetic birders would. From a distance and real lack of experience and knowledge in regards this birds problem, I can only respect the decision made. However with that said I've wondered if the thoughts and opinion of David Graham was presented to the decision makers and was his experience and education in this area truely considered?

Charlie, yes, I did speak with Bud Anderson about what David Graham had posted here. Bud Anderson stated that he believed that this bird had not been used in falconry. At the moment I don't recall exactly why he believed that to be the case and I certainly do not want to misquote him.

You and Ron have been great through this and I tend to keep at things too far. The whole thing has had a lot of responses from so many and it seems to present other questions at each turn. Thanks to you and Ron and I'm finished bugging you.

Thanks Charlie.