Diseased Bird: Tick on Blue Jay

Unfortunately, we believe this Blue Jay to have a tick underneath his eye. I contacted Walden’s Puddle and their wildlife experts confirmed a tick after viewing the photos. I talked with them today (January 8, 2018) and they said to watch the bird and if it looks like the face is becoming swollen to contact them again. This beautiful Blue Jay is here everyday at the feeders. He or she is quite intelligent. I know this particular Blue Jay is the one (or one of the ones) who alerts everyone that a hawk is near – the other birds and me. This bird also has many mimicking skills of hawk and crow sounds. At first, was wondering if it was a growth or tick. The staff at Walden’s Puddle, a wildlife rehab group in Joelton, TN said it was a tick.