When I was re-stocking the bird feeders this weekend, I noticed an odd-looking bird at one of the sunflower seed platforms. It looked like a characteristic, red-feathered male cardinal, but its head was entirely black, and its neck looked slightly constricted. At first, I thought he was injured, but watching him eat and socialize with the other birds, it was obvious he was perfectly fine.
So, what the heck was going on?
After doing a bit of research, I read this phenomenon was part of the normal molting process in many birds. Cardinals (and Blue Jays) often have black heads during molting because they lose their head feathers all at once, exposing their black skin. Molting usually occurs in late summer after breeding season ends.
Hmmm. Nature teaches us something new every day.
