Bird Walk (Manchester, VT)
Feathers, like fingernails, are dead structures. When they get damaged or worn out, they have to be replaced. This replacement is called molt. All birds molt—some a full molt, some partial. Some molt once a year: ie. chickadees, thrushes, and hummingbirds. Some do a full molt after the nesting season, and then a partial molt before the breeding season for those bright, colorful feathers needed to attract a mate: ie.Scarlet Tanagers, and warblers. During the fall, ducks molt synchronously, or lose and replace all of their feathers in a short period of time. Geese and ducks are flightless and vulnerable during synchronous molting. Perhaps the most recognized process of molting is that of the American Goldfinch.
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