During a recent walk through one of the area parks visitors may have observed a cardinal or two that have lost their top notch and maybe look like they’re going bald. Or perhaps more blue jay feathers were spotted on the ground than usual.
If so, it may be something perfectly normal. Many birds are molting right now.
“In general, songbirds do a full molt of flight feathers and body feathers every year after breeding season,” said Jay Wright, Metroparks Toledo’s director of conservation science. “August is the peak molting period, but definitely lots of birds are still completing their molt through September as well.”
He added, “This is also when birds that have two plumages molt into their ‘winter’ or, more accurately, ‘nonbreeding’ plumage. Ornithologists call this the ‘basic’ plumage.”
Mr. Wright points out that most resident birds don’t have two plumages, but many migrants do.
“Warblers, for example, have a nonbreeding plumage that is more subtle allowing them to blend in a bit more to avoid predation during the nonbreeding season,” he explained. Whether resident or migrant, molting is an energydraining process that is done when other pressures– breeding and migration–aren’t competing for reserves.
Molting ensures that resident birds like cardinals and blue jays have a new winter coat to help them survive the coming winter months.
Meanwhile, migrants will molt again in time for their return in spring.
Warblers will be ready to return when the calendar again flips to spring, delighting birdwatchers with their bright breeding plumages. The blue jay feather, above, was photographed by Art Weber, nature photographer.
