I had the same impression. Some of the crest points of this bird seem to mutate into background leaves in a part of the photo. The eye lies in a strange place also. That photo is strange.
... But I can be wrong and is really easy to prove it.
If they really have captured the bird, they should have taken some genetic material in the process. Entangled birds lose feathers all the time.
I guess we have to be a little suspicious these days about image provenance but yall sound paranoid. A couple of famous ornithologists are going to take a 6-week expedition and then trash their careers by using DALL-E? If the grip looks weird to you, look at "The Mist Netter’s Bird Safety Handbook".
>> The leg hold, or photographer's grip (below), is used to hold birds while photographing them since it maximizes the amount of plumage in view; to transfer them from one bander's hand to another; or to examine features. For this hold, you "scissor" grip the bird's tibia between the fore and middle fingers (or between the ring and middle fingers if your hand is very small) and then clamp the bird's tarsometatarsi between your thumb and fore (or middle) finger. In this hold, the bird is securely gripped above and below the metatarsal joint, which is bent into an "L" shape. The bird will be able to flap its wings and rock backwards and forwards, but it should not be able to rock from side to side. Never hold a bird by the ends of its legs alone — they will break! Place your free hand over the bird's back to keep its wings from flapping until the photographer is ready to shoot.
... But I can be wrong and is really easy to prove it.
If they really have captured the bird, they should have taken some genetic material in the process. Entangled birds lose feathers all the time.