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25-07-10, 09:45 PM
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Bald Dunnock
This Dunnock has been around my garden for a couple of weeks now.
As you can see it appears to have lost all the feathers from its head. I have never seen anything like this before. It looks perfsctly healthy otherwise and is acting exactly as I would expect. Has anyone come across this before? Is it simply moulting or is there some other explanation? Thanks for any light you can cast on this. Ken 
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25-07-10, 11:36 PM
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Hello Ken and welcome to the forum,
That's one sad looking Dunnock. Opinions vary - some say it's an abnormal moulting pattern where the bird loses all of the feathers at once, instead of a staggered process. In this case the feathers should grow back eventually. As yours has been like this for a couple of weeks, it could possibly be due to a mite infestation or some other, unknown disease.
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Best wishes, Alan
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26-07-10, 07:55 AM
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We have a great tit with a similar affliction which visits our feeders. Not pretty!
Chaz
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26-07-10, 08:22 AM
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Welcome to the forum Ken.
 I've never seen anything like your poor Dunnock but hope for it's sake that it recovers and that it's feathers will grow back!
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26-07-10, 08:29 AM
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We have a male Blackbird looking just just like that for the past 4 months or so. Otherwise looks perfectly healthy.
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26-07-10, 10:23 AM
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This can be caused by stress - so it's a psychological problem, especially during the breeding season. I do not think it's parasites - mites would affect either the whole body (feather mites) or beak/feet (burrowing mites), not just the head. The feathers should eventually grow back. Fingers X for the poor little bird!
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26-07-10, 10:47 AM
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Aah...poor Dunnock! Maybe it is stress if it has been rearing youngsters...not an easy task, I can vouch for that.lol!
A super little LBJ that is too often overlooked! Hope it soon regains it's feathering! Edit: Muchos apologies to you, Ken! A warm welcome to the forum to you from me, enjoy! Judith.
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Judith. Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. - Frank Lloyd Wright Last edited by Little Sparrow; 26-07-10 at 05:42 PM.
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