photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
lejun | all galleries >> "Birdseye View" >> Wily Woodpeckers >> Downy Woodpecker > (Male) with Insect Infestation
previous | next
16-JAN-2009 Lejun

(Male) with Insect Infestation

Copyright © Lewis Scharpf

This male is infested with feather lice or dermestid beetles which are eating away his chest feathers.
The dark areas are the gray underfeathers and bases of the contour feathersw.
Note how thin the white is on some of them. The insects have eaten away the rest.
Credit to Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Photo taken in Auburn, AL

Nikon D200 ,Tamron SP AF Di LD 200-500mm 1:5-6.3
1/200s f/6.3 at 500.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment
lou_rozensteins21-Feb-2009 23:32
Poor bird! He needs a bath in sheep dip ..... the detail is great. Very well done.