Woodcock
Woodcock deformities

Did you ever bag woodcocks with anomalies?
This picture shows an anomaly on a woodcock having an injury on top of her superior mandible.
I presume she was wounded by a shot? Michel Gélinas.
Old injury on its left foot, the middle toe had no nail and the outter toe was partly missing.
09/20/05 Michel Gélinas.
Phalanx amputated by a shot?
Old injury nail cut by a shot? . 11/07/1982 Michel Gélinas
Female adult. One-legged cut by a shot? Courtesy: A. Quintal
One shot under the skin. Michel Gélinas
Tarsus (leg) cut by a shot? Become fused.
Courtesy: Linda Gallagher. Michigan
I took this woodcock on 10/17/03 and noticed it's foot was off on an angle. It also has missing nails,
only 1 toe has a nail. I am unable to tell if it was caused by shot or just a natural defect.
Courtesy:Mr. Edward Alsteens. Michigan
It may have been caused by shot?
Courtesy:Mr. Edward Alsteens. Michigan
I took this woodcock on friday 10/24/03 in Plainfield NY. Approx.wt. 175 grams.
Length of bill 7.25 cm (female) "central finger" (two phalanxes missing)
Courtesy: Mr. Joel Layaw. NY
First phalanx wounded, it may have been caused by shot? Caked with mud. Michel Gelinas
The anomaly on the left member with the elbow on the inside at the tarso-metatarsal level, is a fracture which
could have been the result of a hunting injury. It is more than likely that a pellet hit it there. Courtesy: Mr. Sandy Hiltz
Secondary feather with white spot right wing. Michel Gelinas
A lot of white pigmentation on breast. Michel Gelinas

American woodcock with white pigmentation. October 22
Courtesy: Mr.Louis Normand. QC
White woodcock
Courtesy: Mr. Dennis Galau. Midland. MI,. USA October 8. 2006. Color seems to be all "bleached" out.
Courtesy: Dan McAuley. Light colored woodcock.
Incident Section
The picture of this wounded woodcock is odd, the wound was not done by pellets. This bird was brought back by one of my dogs in the spring of 2000. It was found under high tension power lines and we all know that Scolopax Minor flies at low altitude. It might've hit one of the power lines because the left wing was fractured.

Michel Gelinas Courtesy:: Mr. Kelly Michigan
These two pics are similar and particular. They both have a pieces of wood stuck in their breast to which I have no explanations. These two birds could fly no problem.
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European woodcock
This picture shows an anomaly on a European woodcock having an injury on top of her superior mandible.

Side view. Underside views.
It may have been caused by shot?
Courtesy: Gérard Souche. France

This bird had a foot fracture at one time. The bones fused side by side, which gives it a position to the inside.
The middle finger of the right foot also endured an injury from a pellet. Courtesy: JEAN RENE

Courtesy: jfuente Spain. Supernumerary spur.

Courtesy: Sébastien GUILLEMOT: Atrophied phalanxes.

Courtesy: David. Atrophied phalanxes.

One-legged cut by a shot?
Right leg: Fracture and partial amputation of the N _ 2 finger. The crusting would indicate that the wound is somewhat recent, 8 to 15 days.
Left leg: Notice the important swelling at the N_2 and N_4 fingers. The picture speaks for itself, the tarso-phalangeal
joints were obviously hit by pellets, causing one or multiple fractures to occur on the fingers.
Central finger deformed. It may have been caused by shot?
Courtesy: Cyrille Reneleau Cyrille. France
An anterior wound located on the beak, probably caused by shotgun pellets.
It repaired itself without too much malformation.Courtesy: Jean-Baptiste. France
Weither on a American or Europeen woodcock, both have a very particular feather which is call the "Painter's Feather". On this picture, there is something wrong as there is two painter's feather. The painter's feather is called as such because in the olden days in Europe, this feather was used to make fine touches on painting canvases. On the American woodcock, this feather is smaller than its Europeen counterpart and doesn't have the same length nor the same rigidity.Courtesy: scolopax
Why Pie? Woodcock with white colour and white spot. This type of feathers is rarely in France. Courtesy: Serge Canadas
.
This bird was taken in the community of Haute Marne(France). It had a wing shorter than the otherone.
It had wing tip feathers missing on the left side, nevertheless, it was flying just fine.
Courtesy: Philippe Raffy. France

The ''brevirost'' woodcock is a species mutation. This bird was taken in ''Landes'' on the 12 Dec 2004.
It weighed 290 grammes. For a woodcock to be considered ''brevirost'', its beak has to be 50 mm long.
Courtesy: Didier Batby. France
European woodcock, several white feathers on primary left wing.
Designers: Michel and Geneviève Gélinas
My E-mail: michel.glinas2@sympatico.ca
Last Update: February 4, 2008
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