Molting makes for some odd-looking birds

For many birds, mid- to late-summer is molting season. As a result, you may see some odd-looking ones like the “bald” male Northern cardinal we’ve been seeing in our yard. His head is black; the red feathers have fallen off.

While looking out to the yard this afternoon, I was surprised to see a hairy red-bellied woodpecker that was, in a word, weird. I don’t know if it was a male or a female, but its head was mostly white, giving it a spectral aspect. Typically there’s black on top, with a red cap on the males.

I’ve seen a few house sparrows with feathers askew and a male house finch with a red feather sticking straight up from its back. Those feathers will soon fall away, making room for new ones that will carry the birds into fall.

Some of the looks are amusing. Others, like the bald cardinal, are jarring. No worries, though — it’s a natural cycle that repeats itself year after year among our (mostly) feathered friends. 🦅