Not. One. Word. On my looks.
From Iowa Raptor Project
Every mid to late August, we answer a lot of questions regarding our small owls and why they look so... pitiful. This is a completely natural process called "molting", where birds will shed worn or damaged feathers to grow in newer and stronger ones. Catastrophic molting, such as molting all of the head feathers at once, only happens once a year, and is a sign of good health and nutrition because growing new feathers takes a lot of energy and blood supply!
Pictured is Juniper (Northern Saw-whet Owl) and Little Horn (Eastern Screech Owl) during their molts and after their molts. What a difference.
They're normally so cute!
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Comments3
Molting is a helluva drug
Little Horn I’m so sorry but your picture nearly had me cackling at work.
Molting season pics are great. They're like catching a cat doing something clumsy and they know that you witnessed it. Yes, we see you, and we will never forget it!