# Missing Feet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343 "2006-12-23T14:20:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/21 "2006-12-24T15:00:43Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Before we go any further, could you possibly provide a photo of a zero-footed pigeon. [/QUOTE] Okay, I couldn’t be bothered to go outside with my digital camera, so I hunted around online… I found one pigeon who has the very early stage of the toe loss (he/she has lost a good portion of the back toe). Then I did a quickie photoshop to show what I typically see here in the city when the pigeons lose all their toes or are “footless”. Sometimes the damage is even more extensive and they are practically hobbling on stumps closer to their ankles. [CLICK HERE](http://www.madcowsrunning.com/pigeonfeet.jpg) (Note: I’m going to have to remove this from the server later when the thread dorps off the first few pages, unless someone wants to host the image somehwere.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/22 "2006-12-24T16:21:24Z")
With apologies to Tom Lehrer (hey, you knew somebody would have to do this, right?): Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here. Life is skittles and life is beer. I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring. I do, don’t you? 'Course you do. But there’s one thing that makes spring complete for me, And makes ev’ry Sunday a treat for me. All the world seems in tune On a spring afternoon, When we’re hobbling pigeons in the park. Ev’ry Sunday you’ll see My sweetheart and me, As we cripple the pigeons in the park. When they see us coming, the birdies all try an’ hide, But we’ve slathered all their perches with sodium hydro-ox-ide. The sun’s shining bright, Ev’rything seems all right, When we’re crippling pigeons in the park. Lalaalaalalaladoodiedieedoodoodoo We’ve gained notoriety, And caused much anxiety In the Audubon Society With our games. They call it impiety, And lack of propriety, And quite a variety Of unpleasant names. But it’s not against any religion To want to immobilize a pigeon. So if Sunday you’re free, Why don’t you come with me, And we’ll hobble the pigeons in the park. And maybe we’ll do In a squirrel or two, While we’re crippling pigeons in the park. We’ll amputate their feet amid laughter and merriment. Except for the few we take home to experiment. My pulse will be quickenin’ With each phalange we’re clippin’ And take from a pigeon. Each toe’s just a smidgin! To cripple a pigeon in the park. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/23 "2006-12-25T04:02:38Z")
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone] Yes, you can very definitely see pigeons walking around on club-like remains of their toeless feet. It’s so common here, that I would say one in six is probably missing a toe or two or is doing the liitle hobble walk with no toes at all. You can see the full leg, all the way down to the ankle and then whatever is left of the foot. I’m going out later, I’ll try to bring my camera and see if I can take a picture of one with the missing toes/foot. It’s very obvious ot the naked eye. [/QUOTE] It’s ok, I believe you. I’ve been caught out thinking that seagulls have only one _leg_ and then found that the other one was tucked up snuggly against its body. Obviously this isn’t the case if you can see the leg but no foot. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/24 "2006-12-25T10:38:48Z")
man and all this time I thought it was the SAME pigeon at Pike place market, hell I even named him stumpy. seriously I am pretty sure it is the same one that comes up to me and begs for crumbs but I had no idea this was a common problem. I figured he was a little to slow one day while walking under a moving car and lost his toes that way. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/25 "2006-12-25T17:44:01Z")
How’s this? > [@](#): > > The deformities on pigeons’ feet are caused by infection with > Staphylococcus. The common name for the condition is bumble-foot. The > bacteria, which are present on the skin and in the pigeons’ droppings, > get into the foot through cracks in the skin and eventually cause > tendinitis, arthritis and joint abscesses. The condition in feral > pigeons is incurable." > > New Scientist: Questions & answers on everyday scientific phenomena > [http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw128](http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw128) > > "There are several causes of deformity in pigeons. ‘Pigeon pox’ is a > disease that causes growths and deformities of the feet. Vitamin B > deficiency can cause paralysis. > > Overgrown beaks are fairly common; the excess growth will often break > off by itself and the birds can usually still feed. Synthetic threads > caught on their toes or feet can cause the loss of toes, whole feet, > or unpleasant wounds." > > Eastbourne Borough Council: Feral Pigeons > [http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/Your\_Home/downloads/pest-control-pigeons.pdf](http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/Your_Home/downloads/pest-control-pigeons.pdf) > > "Deformities of the feet are caused mainly by disease and injury and > are most noticeable among ground feeding species, especially in urban > environments. > > Cuts to the feet can allow infection to occur which may result in > swelling and lameness… Avian pox can cause wart-like growths on the > feet of house sparrows, starlings and pigeons… > > A common disability among urban birds is the loss of all or part of a > foot due to a discarded thread or wire, while discarded fishing line > can have a similar effect in the countryside. Many birds can survive > an amputation but any resulting infection will usually prove fatal. > Congenital deformities involving extra or missing toes are rare and > gross abnormalities, such as an extra leg, do not survive." From [Here](http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=344307) ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/26 "2006-12-26T08:10:24Z")
I’ve noticed this with beach birds here in San Diego, seagulls and little sandpiper-type birds missing legs, and I thought about asking about it on the Dope. I watch them for a while and the leg isn’t tucked up, it’s GONE. With seabirds, I suspect their ocean lunch lunched on them first, but fishing line is a interesting possibility, too. They don’t have toe amputations, either - it’s usually a whole foot or leg. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/27 "2006-12-27T14:26:37Z")
The town I live in has recently seen an influx of wonky-footed pidgeons and I finally found out why. The city has started putting glue on the buildings downtown to prevent the pidgeons from nesting and crapping all over the place. The glue is intended to trap the poor things and they die a nice slow death from starvation. However, many break free from these traps by ripping off a foot or at least badly mangling it. It’s cruel. :mad: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![trixder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@trixder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trixder)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343/28 "2007-01-09T10:43:02Z")
Thanks to everyone that replied. I found some of your answers amusing and others made me very sad. I to have found myself angry over pigeon poo on my car after my neighbor has finished feeding them but I see need for this cruel method of “pest” control. My prefered method is to watch the falcon I have seen a few times downtown ripping chunks of flesh off more than their toes. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-feet/385343.md?page=1)