Is it pining for the fjords?

[British Red]

I saw the weirdest thing yesterday and it very much brought the "Norwegian Blue" to mind

Dead Sparrow by British Red, on Flickr

Never seen anything quite like it - stone dead and past rigour - but not quite dropped off its perch!

Dead Sparrow close up by British Red, on Flickr

Odd huh?

 

[Harvestman]

Very odd indeed. Avian heart attack maybe?

 

[British Red]

No injuries to it for sure?

 

[Adze]

Sometimes stuff just dies... to misquote Josie Wales "Maggots gotta eat, same as next doors cat"

 

[jonny the monkey]

I seem to remember from keeping budgies that when the leg is locked out at the knee then the toes are forced around the branch so they don't fall off the perch when they sleep, certainly and odd angle to find a bird at though!

 

[DurhamBushcrafter]

shrikes sometimes use a thorny bush as a larder and keep victims there.........or so i was told.

 

[woodsorrel]

Were its toes wrapped around a branch?

My understanding is that when a songbird flexes its "ankle," tendons close its toes. In this way, the bird uses its body weight to lock its toes around a branch instead of having to use muscle.

If the bird expired while perched, it seems reasonable that it could remain locked to the branch by its body weight. Wind or some other disturbance could have pitched it into an odd angle after it became rigid.

I am interested to hear what others think.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Joonsy]

Bats also remain hanged by their feet after they have died. Bats and birds have tendons that lock while they sleep and if they happen to die while perched it can secure them to their perch. The photo looks like only the left foot is stuck on the branch, the right foot appears to be free.

 

[Teepee]

Seen a few birds over the years impaled on thorns. So many more dangers in the modern world for birds too.

Many reasons but I like pining for the fjords the most, however unlikely that is.

 

[Robson Valley]

Nobody gets out of this world alive.