For over 70 years there have been reports of foot deformities among the Cape wagtail, a small bird of southern Africa. Scientists have speculated that the deformities were caused by heavy metals in the environment, pesticides, or discarded fishing line that becomes entangled around the bird’s legs, cutting off blood supply to its feet.
But now a scientist at Wits University believes she has solved the mystery. She discovered that many of the birds were crippled by tiny mites that burrow into the birds’ tissue just below the skin. In many cases the birds develop irritations and gangrene that cause their toes to fall off. Since Cape wagtails tend to roost together, the mites are easily transferred from one bird to another.
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Theodore Cross, the founder of Birders United and the author of Birds of the Sea, Shore, and Tundra, has authored a new book which is available from W.W. Norton Company. Cross’ photographs include birds from four continents. From the tundra of eastern Siberia to the tropical islands of the South Pacific, Cross has captured elegant and unusual birds—from auklets and egrets to gannets and sanderlings—in peak action, be they courting, landing on a perch, plunge diving, or engaged in aerobatics.
The 179 color photographs in this 344-page book are accompanied by gracefully written field notes and fascinating accounts of the birds’ habits and habitat.
You can obtain more information or order the book by clicking here.
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