Papillomavirus Returns

We have quite a collection of robins coming to the feeders in our garden, including several adults and at least two, cheekily friendly juveniles. In general, it seems to have been a good breeding year for robins.

It was, therefore, with some sadness that we saw this robin sitting on a perch looking very sorry for itself, with its leg showing all the signs of the Fringilla papillomavirus.

We've seen this in chaffinches before - one, which survived for some time, we called Seedfoot - and we've also seen it in one of my favourite small birds, the dunnock, but this is the first time for a robin.

The growth can continue to increase in size until it hampers the bird's movement, and it can also result in the loss of a leg. That we haven't see this robin again in the last few days isn't a good sign.