House Sparrows and I flocked to the Augusta Fire Department Wednesday afternoon for the same reason.

Free food.

A bird feeder hangs from the outside of Hartford Station. Bob Moody, a firefighter, hangs out inside. He is the best chef in the department.

While hustling inside for baked haddock, I spotted a House Sparrow perched next to the station.

He appears to be a healthy male speciman with summer colors. Except his beak was exceptionally long.

Photo by Andy Molloy

House Sparrows do have elongated beaks in the summer. But not this long, I suspect.

Photo by Andy Molloy

Herb Wilson, the bird columnist and professor of biology at Colby College, has a lengthy blog entry about the subject of long bills. Read Herb's entry.

I was startled to learn that the condition may be hypergrowth and could be potentially lethal.

Long billed syndrome is being encountered among raptors and, recently, song birds in the northwest. A recent report explaining the disease.

I am curious to know if this critter is afflicted.

Let me know.

I skipped the haddock.