Question: My Cardinals look horrible. Is there a disease going around?

Molting Cardinal Photo by David Van Auken, Baldwinsville, NY

Answer: No, what you are seeing is the Cardinals going through “molt.” This is when they shed their feathers and grow new ones.

For a while even a stately Cardinal is a big, ugly, sickly looking bird. But never fear! They’ll regain their former brightness. Do remember that many males brighten up “just for mating season.” Many other birds such as the Goldfinch, are starting to dull up so they fade into more bleak winter landscapes and thus are not easy targets for predators. Isn’t just amazing in how all of these changes take place every year!