August and September are prime times for many of our backyard feathered friends to change their garb. In a process called molting, birds are growing new feathers to replace the old ones.
Similar to dogs and cats shedding, birds typically molt in stages or patterns. They would be too vulnerable if they dropped all their feathers at once. The process usually takes a month or two.
Check out the above picture of the Indigo Bunting’s wing. The little feathers in the middle of the wing are not defective; they are new feathers that are still growing.
Most birds molt their wing feathers a few at a time. That way they are able to continue flying while molting. Pay attention to soaring hawks or vultures and you can often see a shorter feather or two on one wing with a mirrored scenario on the other wing. Tail feathers and body feathers are replaced in a similar fashion.
It takes a lot of protein and energy to change all those feathers. Each feather is made up of over 90% protein and the process of growing feathers burns extra calories. I can tell when my backyard birds are molting from how often I have to fill my feeders. The birds go through a lot of food; especially high-protein foods like Nyjer, peanuts, tree nuts and sunflower seeds.
Look for signs of birds molting in your yard. There could be a few stray feathers on the ground. The birds could look fuzzy or ragged; similar to the Indigo Bunting’s head pictured above. There are also uncommon instances of bald birds. Check out a picture of a bald-headed Cardinal on a previous blog post by clicking here.
What signs have you seen in the changing of the garb?
