Hard To Watch

In recent days I have observed a House Finch that doesn't seem quite right. She has strange twitches of the head, and her plumage is scruffy looking, as if not properly groomed. The thought occured that this could be a juvenile (right time of year, explains the plumage) but the tics are harder to explain unless this is an aging or sick bird. I had a similar experience with a Cardinal last year and a Junco the winter before last. An unpleasant reality: birds do age and pass on, and some fall prey to disease. All we can hope is that whatever ails them won't spread and that their last days are not too painful. All the same, it's hard to watch.