What's with the bald cardinals?

You may have noticed that some of the cardinals in the parks and at your feeders are looking more raggedy than usual this time of year, without their prominent red crest atop their heads. What’s going on?

Birds’ feathers will wear out, causing them to need to be replaced. This process, known as molting, takes place once a year for cardinals, in late summer, after breeding season is over. This process typically isn’t visible to us, as most birds molt a few feathers at a time. Many cardinals, however, will molt all their head feathers at once, leaving them bald until those feathers are replaced. Better for them to look shabby in August than in April, when they need to appear their sharpest during courtship.

While our state bird still won't be their brightest once their new feathers grow in, just wait until mid-winter, when male cardinals are the brightest red they will be: a beautiful sight against the pale white snow.  

Written by Nicole Niemeyer

Image courtesy of Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash.