I can always tell autumn is near despite how much like summer September feels because songbirds look almost as disheveled as I do when I get out of bed in the morning. Their untidy appearance is ...

This cardinal, seen in Monroeville on Aug. 8, appears to be missing his head plumage. It is part of the molting process that birds undergo this time of year.

Q: I watched a beautiful male cardinal feeding an all-brown bird on the roof of my garage. Why would it feed another species? A: That’s a great observation and it indicates how different young ...

Observe a molting male cardinal. First comes the molt of head feathers, leaving the bird with a grayish, bare-headed appearance. Then comes the molt of body feathers, aka contour feathers, making ...

Typically, the first bird to awaken is the robin, followed by the cardinal, ... They all go out and get new outfits, of course, which in the bird world means it’s molting time. ...

This adult male northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) has a less-than-spectacular appearance ... FIGURE 2. Captures of breeding and molting birds in relation to day of year.

Waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) have the most dramatic molt of all birds. Instead of dropping last year’s feathers a few at a time, they shed them by the dozens.

Bird and nature enthusiasts can help birds with the molting process by providing foods rich in protein. ... You should not be surprised if you look into your backyard and see a bald cardinal, ...

This is Shalaway's conclusion: "Next time you see a bald cardinal (or other backyard bird), blame molt if the bird looks like it’s having a bad hair day.

The "female" cardinal the bald male was feeding was probably a juvenile. ... He seems healthy, but looks really weird!"Sunday birding columnist Dawn Hewitt said that the bird is molting, ...

Molting is a tricky period for birds. It has to be accomplished before the bad weather sets in, yet they are at great risk if they give up their feathers too quickly.

Reader David Van Auken, of Baldwinsville, sent in the above photo. He wrote: "It's not a trophy or catch, but very interesting. It's a bald, male cardinal, apparently going through a molting stage ...