{"id":3617,"date":"2011-11-06T13:30:41","date_gmt":"2011-11-06T19:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3617"},"modified":"2025-02-05T03:44:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T09:44:32","slug":"red-tailed-hawk-with-possible-long-bill-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/11\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-with-possible-long-bill-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawk with Long-billed syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Adult Red-tailed Hawk with Long-billed syndrome, <\/span>Tooele County, Utah<\/span>
\nD300, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Please see the comment below from Bud Anderson of the Falcon Research Group for more information on this hawk and Long bill syndrome. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This morning while coming home from photographing in Tooele County, Utah I spotted and pointed out this Red-tailed Hawk perched on a utility pole along side the road.<\/p>\n

I thought I might get a take off shot of the bird so I started to take some images, through my viewfinder though I noticed that something was very wrong with the hawk’s bill.<\/p>\n

I was unable to stay on the road for very long because of traffic but I was able to get some images that showed the deformity clearly.<\/p>\n

I’ve emailed the Falcon Research Group with this image and I plan to contact the Salt Lake Audubon and Hawk Watch International at their Headquarters here in Salt Lake City to see if they can advise me on whom to contact regarding this Red-tailed Hawk. Without intervention this beautiful raptor could perish.<\/p>\n

Thanks in advance,<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Update February 2025:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Avian keratin disorder (AKD), or long-billed syndrome as it is commonly known in raptors, is a condition that causes abnormal overgrowth of the keratin in a bird\u2019s beak, leading to elongated, misshapen, or sometimes crossed bills. While it has been extensively documented in songbirds, particularly in Black-capped Chickadees and other small passerines, cases in raptors like Red-tailed Hawks are much less common. The cause of AKD remains unclear, though research suggests links to environmental contaminants, nutritional deficiencies, viral infections, and genetic factors.<\/p>\n

Birds affected by this disorder can struggle with feeding, preening, and other essential behaviors. In songbirds, survival rates are low without intervention, as they rely heavily on precise foraging. Raptors, including hawks, may face similar challenges if their ability to hunt is impaired.<\/p>\n

In Alaska and parts of the Pacific Northwest, scientists have studied AKD in songbirds for over two decades. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other researchers have been monitoring its spread, but reports outside of the usual range\u2014like this case in Utah\u2014are worth documenting.<\/p>\n

Use this form to report sightings of birds with this condition<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Red-tailed Hawk with Long-billed syndrome, 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,449,358,26],"tags":[1067,1068,4170,5104,5103,1066,4867,519,4209],"class_list":["post-3617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-tooele-county","category-utah","tag-beak-deformity","tag-bill-deformity","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-coped","tag-coping","tag-long-bill-syndrome","tag-long-billed-syndrome","tag-nature","tag-red-tailed-hawk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-tailed-long-bill-syndrome-mia-mcpherson6921.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Wl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":134770,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/09\/20\/adult-brown-thrasher-with-a-slight-bill-deformity\/","url_meta":{"origin":3617,"position":0},"title":"Adult Brown Thrasher With A Slight Bill Deformity","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I was excited when an adult Brown Thrasher showed up yesterday and began moving toward me. 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