Recently, a common crow with a strange beak was spotted in Malibu Towne by Atul Chapekar. This odd beak made it hard for the crow to eat and take care of its feathers. It’s a condition called Avian Keratin Disorder (AKD), affecting birds worldwide.
Birds’ beaks are like their tools. They use them for two important things: eating and cleaning themselves. But when a bird has AKD, its beak doesn’t grow right. The upper part of the beak can become too big and curve downward over the lower part.
In India, crows, treepies, parakeets, and pigeons are among the birds that get AKD. The crow Atul might have trouble finding food and keeping its feathers clean because of this weird beak.
Scientists are trying to figure out what causes AKD. They used to think it was about genes or not eating the right things, but now they believe a virus might be behind it. There’s no cure for AKD yet, but people can help. If you see a bird with a strange beak, you can put out food that’s easy for it to eat. This way, you can be a friend to these special birds while scientists keep learning about this puzzling condition.
Very informative writeup.