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This bird has evidently been attacked by a predator and has lost its entire tail, in addition to half of its primaries and most of the secondaries, coverts and scapulars on its right side. You can see the adult grey feathers on its right wing that have already replaced the lost brown juvenile ones.
This is the latest-staying Cuckoo ever to be seen in the Avon area although it can fly, it hasn't migrated due to the loss of so many of its main flight feathers. It's questionable whether it will be able to regrow them sufficiently in time for it to fly to Africa, even if it can find enough food in the coming weeks.
Just think - the last place it ever sees might be Severn Beach. |
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