search
chickadees
Trends
- 1Avian keratin disorder blamed for deformed beaks in Alaska chickadees●Scientists believe avian keratin disorder is cause of fishhook beaks in Alaska chickadee population
Scientists in Alaska say avian keratin disorder is the cause of the fishhook-shaped beaks seen in the state's chickadee population, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The disorder causes abnormal keratin growth, leaving birds with overgrown, curved beaks that can make feeding difficult. Researchers studying the condition continue to investigate what triggers it and why it affects chickadees so heavily in the region.