Zuidelijke Reuzenstormvogel Macronectes giganteus met misvormde snavel

J.Gonzales-Solis, Univ Barcelona Spain, collected the skull of a Souther Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus at Livingstone Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) Which turned out te be malformed. Whereas the cutting edge of the upper mandible normally runs on the outside of the lowe mandible left and right, a deformity caused the right cutting edge of the upper mandible to run inside that of the lowe mandible. The bill tip is normal, meaning the tip of the lower mandible is within the cutting edge of the upper, so that a hole is visible in both thte bone and the horny layer in the cutting edge of the upper mandible where the beak is crossing. Deformations are frequently found in bird beaks. The cause is briefly discussed and it is speculated that as a young bird, the petrel may have been involved in an accident where the parents were feeding rather forcefully, leading to a dislodgement of the lowe jaw.