An unfortunate Mockingbird

[Robin Work]

I wondered why this Mockingbird allowed me to get so close and I found out once I put the pictures on my computer and it made me sad. Somehow it has a piece of wire stuck in its mouth. And what made it even more odd is that he was out in a field away from any garbage.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Icarus]

Sad. Have to wonder how he acquired it. Hopefully he'll mess with it enough to get rid of it, otherwise, he's a dead bird.

 

[ssheipel]

Breaks my heart!

 

[Warren D]

Is it wire or a piece of grass? There was a snowy owl a few years back that was sitting on a roof with what looked like a section of fishing line coming out of it's mouth. Upon inspection of the photos (greatly enlarged) I determined it was a piece of grass that he had swallowed with the last vole he ate. He eventually coughed it up and all was fine. He spent all day trying to get it out which got a lot of people concerned.

 

[Charles Loy]

sad for sure, gosh.

 

[IainD]

If only you could help everything and everyone who needs it.

 

[Robin Work]

Is it wire or a piece of grass? There was a snowy owl a few years back that was sitting on a roof with what looked like a section of fishing line coming out of it's mouth. Upon inspection of the photos (greatly enlarged) I determined it was a piece of grass that he had swallowed with the last vole he ate. He eventually coughed it up and all was fine. He spent all day trying to get it out which got a lot of people concerned.

I am hoping it is grass but I really think it is wire. :(

 

[Anjin San]

It’s an awfully thin wire if it is...much smaller than the fence wire is. Definitely smaller than paperclip thickness based on bird size and fence size I would think.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Critters are tougher than we realize and can live far longer than we think with serious injuries or issues like that, so it may have traveled quite a distance. If it can't dislodge the wire it's dead for sure, but that may take a while.

 

[Robin Work]

Critters are tougher than we realize and can live far longer than we think with serious injuries or issues like that, so it may have traveled quite a distance. If it can't dislodge the wire it's dead for sure, but that may take a while.

There are a lot of coyotes and various raptors in the area so I doubt he will make it long.