On a recent trip to Newhall Park in Concord, I couldn't help but notice several of the geese had no wings. If you look close at the pictures above, you can see the skeleton of the wing, but no feathers.
Most of the geese at the park look very healthy and happy, but a handful of them had this condition.
Does anybody out there know what's wrong with them, and whether or not they can be treated?
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64 comments:
Mr. Huey needs a new set of wings.
Maybe they lose their feathers at this time of the year?
sad. Did someone butcher them
or did the mother eat drugs ?
WINGSES OF METH
It is most likely angel wing. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Wing.
Are they vulnerable to the coyotes that frequent the park? Maybe they can still swim and escape predators. Any vets or wildlife experts out there?
It does look like "angel wing". Please, never give bread and other "people food" to wild birds. It harms them.
Some one contact the medical center for birds in oakley and ask them. They take in all kinds of birds and fix them up. There wings should not be like this at all and I feel really sorry for them
I have been taking my dogs to that park for years and years. That goose has been there for at least 5-10 years. I have always wondered about him. He is an old timer. I must add, the geese at Newhall park are the nicest little guys. When you feed them, they don't try to attack you and will wait for their food. They are very gentle with my small kids. Hope everyone is being kind to them all!!!
I read the wikipedia article and it sounds like Marc Kupper is right. Angel wing may be caused by a poor diet and human feeding, so tell everyone to stop feeding the ducks! It also could be genetic. But, either way, stop feeding the ducks!
omg that wiki link made me cry! That is so sad that feeding the ducks could cause this
Interesting question...I was talking to an animal control officer a couple of weeks ago @ NewHall about this,,She had been called out to the park to investigate a Goose with a broken wing...When encountering this goose in the picture she said that it was a natural condition and it would correct itself and that she would not be doing any thing about it at that time...again this was a couple of weeks ago...And as far as any Coyotes killing the geese in NewHall Ive never heard of that happening and ive never seen any physical evidence of it in the park ever...But it sure is obvious that some of the Geese are in need of some medical attention...I hope that this posting will get the attention of Alexander Lindsay or some other rescue foundation...All Links to All Bay Area Animal Rescue Foundations can be found in the sidebar at SmokeysMountain if any one else wants to research a way to help the Geese...I know Lindsay does mainly Songbirds and Raptors...Good lookin out Mr.Mayor...
read the wikipedia article .
There are currently two basic theories concerning the cause of Angel Wing:
The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars. Angel Wing is not generally observed in waterfowl not residing near humans, and the disease can often be observed in areas where geese or ducks are excessively fed bread. To prevent Angel Wing, waterfowl should not be fed bread, popcorn or other human foodstuffs. Duck seed is an alternative for duck feeders.
Coyotes may not be the only predator out there. Many people let their dogs run off leash and the dogs love to chase the ducks & geese. Some of the geese appear to fat to fly anymore.
marc kupper, thank-you for the link! yes, it looks like angel wing, and the apparent cause fits perfectly.
It sure looks like Angel Wing. I didn't know you weren't supposed to feed ducks and geese bread.
wow. marc's link is fascinating... (excerpt) "The only wild waterfowl populations known to be affected are those fed by man."
Mother nature will win in the end. Either they will starve to death(the geese) and bring the numbers down or disease will cull the species,not nesessarily just here but in the greater picture. They will probably contract a disease due to humans feeding them. It's just a matter of time. Same thing for the Canadian Geese one finds on the golf courses, mother nature has much more time than any other living thing.
Angel Wing
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For other uses, see Angel Wing (disambiguation).
Image showing an example of a duck with Angel Wing. Duck is a Muscovy.
Same duck as above but a year older.
Angel Wing also known as Slipped Wing, crooked wing, or drooped wing is a disease that affects waterfowl, primarily geese and ducks, in which the last joint of the wing is twisted with the wing feathers point out, instead of laying against the body. Males develop it more than females.[citation needed]
The disease manifests as an incurable anatomical condition which is acquired in young birds. Due to a high-calorie diet, especially one high in proteins and/or low in vitamin D, vitamin E and manganese, one or both carpus (wrist) joints are retarded in their development relative to the rest of the wing; for reasons unknown, if only one wing is affected it is usually the left one. The result is a wrist which is twisted outwards and unable to perform its usual function. Angel wing symptoms include stripped remiges (flight feathers) in the wrist area, or remiges protruding from wings at odd angles. In extreme cases, the stripped feathers may resemble sickly blue straw protruding from wings. In adult birds the disease is incurable and usually leads to an early death as affected birds are rendered effectively or totally flightless. In young birds wrapping the wing and binding it against the bird's flank, together with feeding the bird a more natural diet, can reverse the damage.
The only wild waterfowl populations known to be affected are those fed by man.[citation needed] In Sweden, ten different park populations of Canada geese produced angel wing. The following year one flock was not fed any artificial feed and there were no angel wing goslings produced.[citation needed]
There are currently two basic theories concerning the cause of Angel Wing:
1. The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars. Angel Wing is not generally observed in waterfowl not residing near humans, and the disease can often be observed in areas where geese or ducks are excessively fed bread. To prevent Angel Wing, waterfowl should not be fed bread, popcorn or other human foodstuffs. Duck seed is an alternative for duck feeders.
2. The second theory is that the cause could be genetic, as the same breeding pair can produce several Angel Wing chicks or cygnets over many broods.
As little research has been done on this, it is impossible to favour one theory over the other.
Marc Kupper is exactly right ! A very accurate diagnosis of this condition Marc...This is caused by a high calorie diet ... Which they receive from Humans !!! This is a good Photographic example of why they say not to feed the Ducks and Geese... Everyone does it and thats why this condition happens to these birds...Angel wing is what we are seeing here...
3:03 am. No it doesn't.
Dogs, they get a hold on the wings as the geese run away flapping there wings. I know because I have seen it happen.
So... this could be my fault for feeding them Twinkies...
Can you feed them bird seeds?
This is from the Lindsey Wildlife Museum web site
http://www.wildlife-museum.org/hospital/injured_orphaned/ducks.php
Duck or goose wings sticking out to side
Ducks or geese (usually domestic) can have a metabolic bone disease caused by improper diet while young. There is no cure. If they are in an area with adequate food and are not in danger, leave them alone. If they are in danger or are otherwise injured or ill, call animal services (in Contra Costa County call 925-335-8300) for pick up.
White bread is the craapiest thing birds or anyone can eat. Why not just feed them sugar while you're at it.
OMG! Thanks Marc! I bet that's totally what these poor geese have. I will think twice before I toss out bread to them in the future. What would be a better alternative?
I noticed something much more disturbing. One of them had a cat face!
Wings of Meth LOL!
who cares? they're damn geese!
For those who love to feed the ducks/geese, as my grandchildren do: go to the feed store on Clayton road. Chicken scratch or duck food is pretty cheap and SO much healthier for the animals! It's worth the few dollars for both the kids and the animals to be happy and enjoy themselves!
Yes, thank you for that link Marc. I'd always heard "don't feed the ducks" but everyone always said the reason was to keep them wild, or to keep too many birds from coming to the area. I had never heard of this condition. 'Angel wing' is such a benign sounding condition. That's unfortunate. It needs to be called something horrible. Poor little guys.
Poor baby. Should we feed them whole grain breads?
It is definitely angel wing. There is really nothing that can be done for them now. They are another victim of ignorant people caring more about entertaining themselves than their kids than the health of these poor birds.
The wikipedia article is correct that there is no way to help these adult geese. You can all call the various rescue organizations but just be warned that the treatment will be euthanasia. If you really want to help these birds than you should find a way to prevent people from feeding them human food otherwise they will continue to produce offspring with this same horrible condition.
Ewwwwww--all that man made food, makes one wonder what it is doing to our bodies. Clean Eating the only way!
A few years ago the Lindsay Wildlife Center had a display giving the reasons why people should not feed wild ducks and geese. One point that was made is that food thrown in the water ends up polluting the water, which is hardly healthy. No one reads the little signs, even when they aren't hidden by tree limbs.
I have often thought that they should post the display at Newhall Park.
A sign with a picture and the effects of Angel Wing should be posted so people can learn the dangers of feeding the ducks/geese.
It has nothing to do with what WE eat. We eat different things than geese eat, and vice versa. Just like trying to make your cat vegetarian, it will be sick and die. SO NO , do NOT feed it multi-grain bread. Stop by Concord feed and get a supply of DUCK food!!!!! DUCK DUCK GOOSE food! sorry , couldn't resist. But they shouldn't eat ANY people food, multi-grain or not. If it is not in their natural diet away from humans, they shouldn't eat it.
They have a canariel disease. They feel real fowl and there is no tweetment.
Thanks for the links about where to get duck food.
I'm not in the area to feed the ducks, but I can see why it's tempting for people to feed them bread; people just love interacting with animals, and there's not enough information out there to explain WHY they shouldn't feed the ducks and how very bad it is for them. I've seen "do not feed" signs for years at different lakes but never knew exactly WHY it was bad (and I tend to be a total information junkie, LOL).
Thanks for the links above about "angel wing" (they need a new name for such a ghastly disease, I agree) and all the other information above. A very informative thread started by Mr. Mayor. Go, Claycord!
At the risk of sounding callous, I wish there were a lot less geese at that park. There is goose poop everywhere! Many times I have taken my children to that park in the hopes of running on the grass or kicking the ball around (we live in a nearby condo and have no yard so we rely on the local parks for outdoor fun) and we just end up leaving because there is so much poop everywhere. The geese are also aggressive from years of being fed enormous amounts of bread/food and they scare the hell out of my kids. I get why people like to have them around, and I certainly have seen some cute chicks in the spring, but in the end, feeding the geese is not only nutritionally bad for them, but when their breeding goes unchecked it makes for a disgusting park. See Heather Farms as a cautionary example.
When we lived in Ohio, many of the duck ponds had gumball machines filled with dried corn and seeds installed around the pond. For a penny, you could buy a handful of seeds to feed the ducks.
When we lived in Ohio, many of the duck ponds had gumball machines filled with dried corn and seeds installed around the pond. For a penny, you could buy a handful of seeds to feed the ducks.
November 16, 2009 10:39 AM
And when the local waterfowl population showed up with hand lettered cardboard signs at the foot of the local freeway off ramps, city officials knew they had created a problem.
My next door neighbor has 6 or 7 of these foul fowls in his backyard. The enclosure they sleep in is backed up fairly close to our fence. In the summer, these winged beasts are a complete nightmare. They squawk ALL night long. It's not so bad during the colder months because our windows are closed, but these things are terrible. Luckily we rent and are hopefully moving soon.
Back before the Contra Costa County water rationing started, we had a lovely green front lawn. The neighbor has no front lawn (just dirt). On the weekends he would let these monsters out of his back yard and they would wander over to our front yard and eat the grass (or bugs?) while shi*ting everywhere. Our dog would go out after the geese were done and would get geese sh*t all over her paws.
I have fond memories of feeding geese as a child in Wisconsin, but I have grown to HATE them over the last two years.
Even worse, I have never once been offered eggs. >:|
//rant//
Before we go to feed the ducks, we always stop at Concord Feed on Clayton Road to get chicken feed. Much better for the ducks than bread and it's pretty cheap. I don't mind spending a few bucks to help keep them healthy.
That chimp went postal!
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/victim-chimp-attack-shows-destroyed-face-oprah/story?id=9053544
Domestic geese, you can clip their wings to keep them from flying away. You don;t clip the wings anywhere near this much, just a few feathers along the bottom of the goose wing. Looks like somebody did not know what clipping wings was about, and butchered this poor goose. I imagine, they just dumped them at the park after a few people ridiculed them.
I think at Heather Farms they have signs stating not to feed the ducks bread and last time I was there they had duck food sitting on the bench for people to use.
Hey ACC, Smokey here and I once again agree with you...Hey Mayor ACC has a great Idea about a sign with a picture indicating the result of humans feeding the ducks/geese high calorie foods...If anyone can make it happen its you Mr.Mayor... Seriously though if you could get the city to do something like that it would definitely catch on all across the county and I bet we would start seeing picture signs where ever there are waterfowl in our parks...And Claycord.com would once again probably get into the local TV news for being responsible for helping the local waterfowl...Go for it Mayor make it happen...keep us posted
"I didn't know you weren't supposed to feed ducks and geese bread."
That was funny. Beacuse in the wild I'm sure you see them eating sandwiches, crackers, tortillas, chips, etc. 80% of the foods out there which are supposed to be good for your dog are terrible for them.
DOGS eat meat, not rice/grains. I know the right foods are expensive, but your will notice the difference in their coats, teeth/breath and overall general health.
Do not feed these animals table food.
Hey 12;02 what the heck??? Were all talking about Geese...Not Chimps?But I went to the story link anyway and OMG What a mess...WOW.!..The Horror...
If you have ever been to a Trout farm or pond they have a coin opperated machine that dispenses Trout kibbel maybe the City with a little coaxing from Claycordians would install a Waterfowl Kibbel dispenser and that way the food is payed for as well...25 cents a handfull...
If u truly want to feed the ducks, you can buy cracked corn, and don't throw it in the water. Wild Birds Unlimited is a great place to get it fresh and they are VERY knowlegable.
Then the birds would be corn fed:)
Quack, quack, quack!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Those white birds look more like ducks (Peking Ducks).
2. Fishing lines and hooks probably cause MUCH MORE harm to the ducks and geese than "angel wing" does.
5;02 you aint from here is ya
There inbread
Two good things about having geese on your property:
1) They will chase off any rattlesnakes
2) They will eat all the snails that are eating your plants!
YAY!
so what you are say in alkaseltzer and strychnine is a no for the birds? well hey at least we knnow where the hunting is. why track them when you know where they are.............ha
Ohh man I better stop feeding the ducks :(
Anyone else think of this as soon as the saw posting?
Click for song
Speaking about Newhall, anyone seen Ricky lately and why is he giving his meth to the poor geese?
I like the idea of posting a no-feeding sign with a picture of the consequences.
Duck feed may be safer, I don't know. But why feed them at all? They do just fine, better even, without our help.
In Newhall Park, only 1%(?) of the huge white geese (prob. Embden
geese and hybrids) have Angel Wing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embden_goose
(4 feet tall and 20-30 pounds)
(Very LOUD!)
In Newhall Park, I didn't see any ducks (mallards) or Canada Geese
with Angel Wing.
Fishing lines and hooks probably cause MUCH MORE harm to the ducks and geese than "angel wing" does.
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