The missing tails mystery.

[ChrisKten]

I guess it's fairly common seeing a Collard Dove without a tail; I see one most years. I've not seen two at the same time though, until this morning.

I've attached two pictures which are of different birds. I can think of a few reasons for tail loss: Cats, Magpies, maybe moulting, fighting, can you think of any other possibilities?

I guess that both of these birds could just be really unlucky, but it does seem a bit odd.

[Howard King]

There was also the recent case of a Tufted Puffin who some misguided soles also claimed was missing a tail

[Quercus]

There was also the recent case of a Tufted Puffin who some misguided soles also claimed was missing a tail

Update... we're missing a whole Tufted Puffin now. From tail to bill and all bits in between;)!

[Howard King]

Update... we're missing a whole Tufted Puffin now. From tail to bill and all bits in between;)!

nice one - some stringer will find it for sure soon

[Clive Watson]

I've seen various birds without tails over the years, last one I can remember is a singing male Corn Bunting in Bedfordshire a couple of months ago. They always seem to be in good health otherwise and I presume the missing tail is generally the result of a close shave with a cat, fox or other mammalian predator.

[Gomphus]

Interestingly in our garden in Derbyshire we had a Magpie which would moult each year and grow a tail.... but within a very short while the tail feathers would drop away leaving the bird tail-less till the next moult..... the feathers when present where always "loose and weak looking". This happened consistantly over many years making this individual male bird very distinctive. It bred and raised young etc (none which seemed to show the same trait with the tail) and he lived to a good age for a Magpie so there was no other obvious health problem.

I suppose therefore that missing tails could be anything from close shaves to moult gone slightly awry/health issues?

Cheers

[ChrisKten]

Thanks everyone who replied (even those that only sort of replied |=)|)

It's odd how many tailless birds we see really. I find it quite bemusing how they still fly and manoeuvre in flight. I would think that an Aircraft without a tail would dive out of control, not so for birds apparently.

I'm pretty sure it was Cats or maybe Magpies (I've seen them take clumps of tail feathers from Pigeons that were after the same food as them), but I guess I'll never know for sure. It was still strange seeing two together on the fence today.

[Monahawk]

Saw a tailless Long tailed Tit bumbling about the hedgerows on my local patch back in the spring. Does that qualify it as the smallest bird in Europe?

[Howard King]

we have a distinct problem with tailless Prinia - Graceful Warbler - get numerous calls about Wrens in peoples gardens..

[ChrisKten]

Saw a tailless Long tailed Tit bumbling about the hedgerows on my local patch back in the spring. Does that qualify it as the smallest bird in Europe?

Not sure, what about a Goldcrest?

[ChrisKten]

we have a distinct problem with tailless Prinia - Graceful Warbler - get numerous calls about Wrens in peoples gardens..

I get quite a few tailless Blackbirds each year, mostly during the breeding season. It's quite confusing when you see a tailless female feeding fledglings, looks very strange.