Radiographic examination of 35 birds (17 species) killed on roads revealed bone injuries in 17 (47%) cases. There were 30 different kinds of injuries to the skeletal system. In 29 cases these fractures concerned the long bones of the wings (n = 15) and the lower extremities (n = 14). One bird had a dislocated spinal column. Wing fractures affected the humerus (n = 6), radius (n = 6) and ulna (n = 3), while leg fractures affected the femur (n = 5), tibiotarsus (n = 8) and tarsometatarsus (n = 1). No relationship was found between the body weight and the location and number of bone injuries. In our opinion, the nature and type of skeletal injuries suggest that they were not the direct cause of death.
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1 July 2005
Skeletal Injuries of Passerines Caused by Road Traffic
Grzegorz Orłowski,
Jan siembieda
Acta Ornithologica
Vol. 40 • No. 1
July 2005
Vol. 40 • No. 1
July 2005
avian injuries
bone fractures
radiological analysis
road-kills
small passerines