And this bird has some suspicious looking feather damage.
Three weeks ago I spent some quality time with Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR. Out of many hundreds of photos I took of them that morning this is one of my favorites.
1/3200, f/9, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
The swan has recently lifted off from the water and is in the process of gaining altitude in the relatively slow and lumbering manner of the species. Because of cloud cover most of my photos that morning were taken in marginal light but for this shot the bird and phragmites at bottom are bathed in morning light while the water and Promontory Mountains in the background are still shaded. I love the contrast of the well-lit swan and the phrags at bottom with the darker background up top. I have good detail, I like the flight posture and I even have a distinct catch light in the eye.
While processing the image I became curious about the unusual-looking hole in the primaries of the left wing and wondered if some lowbrow with a rifle had taken a pot shot at the bird while it was flying high overhead. Sadly that’s a regular occurrence with large soaring birds including but not limited to raptors.
So I attempted to investigate further by cropping in tightly on the previous image to get a better look at the damage. It appears to me that this is not a simple case of the barbs in that feather being separated from each other which typically results in a “V”-shaped opening. Here an entire section of barbs appears to have been amputated so that the borders of the remaining barbs are parallel to each other which resulted in a rectangular (or parallelogram-shaped) opening.
If we look closely even the overlapping feather behind the damaged one appears to have similar damage in the same spot which is exactly what one might expect if the damage was caused by a bullet.
I’m far from a forensic pathologist but it’ll take some convincing to make me think otherwise. As a kid growing up in Montana I saw others taking pot shots at soaring birds more than once so I know such sickening human behavior isn’t unusual.
I hope I’m wrong but we’ll probably never know for sure.
Ron
Beautiful photo. The swans were not as close or active this morning. There is very little open water. Mostly in the larger flowing canals.
As to the feather damage, it it hard to say, I have seen chunks missing in feathers where I know the bird was not shot. The bullet holes I have seen are usually round and blown out from the center. Buckshot tends to tatter more. Again no expert and I have not seen as many examples as others in rehab have.
Thanks, April. I wish I knew for sure. And then again maybe I don’t…
Gorgeous photo (I hesitate to use the word “shot” today). The lighting makes it! As for other members of my species, sometimes people are real twitwiffers!
I walked outside this morning to a gauntlet of very large crows lining the walkway — half a dozen on each side. Not sure if that’s a good omen or a bad one. Just to be on the safe side, I’m staying inside with mama and the behemoths* today! 😉
*several of the puppies are already over 7 pounds at only 4-1/2 weeks! 0.o
Thank you, Marty. You might be surprised at how many folks think I’m going hunting when I say I’m going out shooting…
Gorgeous bird! DISLIKE possibility of shooting but I know it’s a reality.
Thanks, Arwen.
There’s a good possibility that the hole in the swan’s wing feathers are the result of a gunshot, HOWEVER. allow me to share that my birds (who are no more mine than the air I breathe) have also had feathers with that sort of gap (with the straight edges that look like a meat cleaver was used to make that happen) in primary or tail feathers and I KNOW they haven’t been shot. I have NO idea how that sort of feather damage happened (given that I know they have not been shot) and that’s been an unsolved mystery for me for years. I’ve wondered if perchance they had an argument with a crow/raven, but I don’t remember an encounter like that, and even so, would a crow/raven be able to physically make that straight edge happen with their beaks? I’d also wonder if a bullet would be capable of making that straight edge happen? Like I said, a HUGE mystery to me.
I’m sure we’ll never know for sure what caused this damage, Laura. But if I had to bet my money would be on the jerk with a rifle.
Great shot Ron! My life bird for Tundra Swan was at Yellowstone years and years ago. Absolutely beautiful bird!
If it was a shot at least it went through the wing feather and nowhere else.
Yup, It sure could have been worse, Dick.
Such a beautiful photograph! I do hope to see a tundra swan when I travel out west again. When is the best time of year to see them?
I really don’t understand hunting or target shooting at living species (human or otherwise). Makes me sad that people are so crazy and destructive.
Thanks again for sharing your photographs and your thoughts.
Joanne, The best time to see Tundra Swans around here seems to be January and February. They spend most of the year up north.
Sensational flight shot! Hard to believe that someone would take a shot at a beautiful bird. So sad.
Charlotte
It is, isn’t it, Charlotte. Thanks.
Beautiful photo, Ron! 🙂 The phragmites well lit and the darker water and background REALLY do show off the swan. 🙂 It does appear to me your suspicions about the source of the hole in the wing are correct. 🙁 It is sad/infuriating to see that happen. The good news is that nothing REALLY critical was it and the swan can still fly/live…….. I do wonder what a hole like that does to the aerodynamics of the wing….?