Angry birds seasons feathers6/4/2023 Rivera’s team overcame the challenges of observing quiet wandering birds by tracking them with radio tags which revealed the birds’ locations.īut even with enhanced tracking ability, the researchers noted that during the molting stage, wood thrush were “very difficult to observe and almost impossible to catch.” Photo © Laura-Marie KoitschĪ study of wood thrush in Virginia led by Jorge Vega Rivera discovered just how discreet birds can be during molt. They may become as discreet as the pet birds we’ve heard about, with much reduced activity levels. During molt, birds wander away from their defended nesting territory and stop singing. Although any one bird may not be seen again after it passes through a location, the opportunity to observe many birds of many species during migration allows for investigation of broad patterns.īut inconveniently for scientists, songbirds at molting time are difficult to find. Likewise, there are numerous studies of migrating birds. They sing and display conspicuously and are thus easy to find and re-find (and study!). Many bird studies happen during the nesting season when individuals are attached to their nesting territory. The time between nesting and migrating is typically when birds molt and this period largely falls through the scientific cracks. The best a doctor can do is to ask you to “ rate your pain level from one to ten.”Īlthough it may be impossible to discern personality changes in wild birds during molt, it is something to consider: Do all the wild birds around us go through what Arnie the starling went though? Are they miserable during molt? And how does this misery affect their behavior? Even with the benefit of language we have trouble conveying to others what our own particular feelings of pain or discomfort are like. Science is not well-equipped to measure a bird’s (or anyone’s) discomfort levels. Personal relationships between people and birds is a helpful window into this phenomenon. The birds often retreat to quiet spaces, reduce their activity and just want to be left alone. Without prior knowledge, many owners’ first thought is that their birds are sick.īird owners know that the “mood” or “personality” of their bird - whether it be a chicken, parrot or darling starling - can change dramatically during molt. Personality changes during molt are written about frequently on pet bird and backyard chicken internet forums because it comes as a shock to owners. Depending on the species, a complete molt can take as little as a month or last up to 6 months or even longer. Starlings complete their molt in about three months. Hyde.”Ĭorbo concluded that the “molt is a time of misery.”īut eventually the starling re-found his voice, regained his exuberant personality and entered his second year of life with a beautiful new set of adult feathers. Corbo writes, “To those of us who knew him, it was as drastic a change as Dr. It reminded the author of “a brilliant orator suddenly reduced by a catastrophic accident to the gibberish of infancy.”Īrnie also lost his “sweet disposition,” becoming irritable and aggressive. But when it came time for Arnie’s “preformative molt” (the transition from juvenile to adult plumage), his personality changed completely. The starling had free range of Corbo’s house and learned a wide vocal repertoire of words and songs. It’s a memoir of the author’s time with a starling that she raised from a nestling after she found it in her garden and was unable to return it to its nest. I learned something about how it feels to be a molting bird from the book Arnie the Darling Starling by Margarete Corbo. To add insult to injury, molting can also make a bird look quite homely. While wearing a motley array of old, yet-to-grow and new feathers that reduces flight performance and the ability to stay warm and dry, a bird must nonetheless find a high-quality food supply to fuel feather growth. Observations of pet bird owners as well as those of scientists tell us that molting is not an easy time for birds. They impart the ability to fly, provide weatherproof warmth and give birds their dashing good looks.īut feathers wear out quickly and in order to maintain peak performance, birds molt (replace old feathers with new feathers) at least once a year. Seriously.įeathers are a bird’s defining feature. In fact, it can make birds downright grumpy. Perhaps you’re familiar with having a “bad hair day.” For birds, “bad feather days” – what we call molting – are a part of life.
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