Have you ever seen anything like this.

[mark1000]

Hi Guys, this poor little bird has these horrible growths on his head, it even looks like his eye is gone too, but he is flying around just fine and eating well too.





Hope he survives.

Mark.

[ChrisJB]

Poor thing. That is one unfortunate dunnock.

Regards, Chris

[Jason Green]

Aww, poor thing. It looks uncomfortable but he looks healthy enough besides! If he's feeding and flying he's in with a chance. I hope he manages to breed...

[valleyforge]

Indeed that does look nasty.

I can't see any head parts, but I wonder if this is a cluster of engorged ticks ... probably Ixodes frontalis ... as these have a habit of attaching themselves to the eyelids of birds? I can't imagine what else it might be in fact.

On the left eyelid, there appears to be a small one that clearly hasn't done much feeding as yet, not having swelled with blood like the others.

Ticks normally drop off when they are full, but with an infestation this severe this poor bird may become quite debilitated by the blood-loss, or through secondary bacterial or viral infections.

It's encouraging that it seems to be coping thus far though.