Have you noticed stray feathers in your bird baths or gardens? This is the time of year when many birds are in the process of moulting. Perhaps you’ve seen patchy looking birds including grackles and red-winged blackbirds, bald cardinals, or maybe blue jays with very few head or neck feathers.

Our feathered friends need to moult to replace damaged feathers with new ones. The timing of this is important as it is taxing on the birds taking a lot of energy. For this reason, most of our songbirds begin this process after their breeding season, and before they migrate to their wintering grounds. American Goldfinches will wait until the end of August before moulting as their nesting period doesn’t begin until late July/early August and will continue throughout this month. Our songbirds will complete their moult in approximately 4-8 weeks. Migrating birds are the quickest to complete their feather replacement experience in order to ensure the timing coincides with their journey south.

Larger species such as the red-tailed hawk, will begin moulting in the spring and take until September or October for completion. You may find a wing feather in May or June, and a tail feather in August or September.

We can help our backyard birds during this stressful time by offering seeds which are high in protein such as sunflower seeds/hearts, peanuts and nyjer seeds, as well as suet and mealworms. Water is also very important at this time, so please keep bird baths clean and refreshed.

Don’t be concerned if you notice birds looking a little odd or scraggly… this is a natural process.

Happy birding!

Jane Paradis

Brand Ambassador

Urban Nature Store