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By: Claudia Kirscher
Liberty Wildlife Volunteer

A bird’s survival depends on the health of its feathers and it will devote a lot of time to caring for its plumage (preening, bathing, and dusting).  This is essential to staying in top flying condition, keeping warm, attracting mates, migration, and escaping predators. However, feathers eventually wear out from daily use, increased abrasions when foraging for food, and during nesting season frequent visits to well-hidden nests in dense brush or cavities.  Molting is the shedding of old and worn feathers by the growth of new pin feathers loosening the old follicles, pushing them out, and replacing them with new ones.  Some bird species’ molts are partial, replacing some of the bird’s feathers; some are complete when all the feathers are replaced at once.  Molting occurs in regular patterns over a bird’s body so that it maintains balance for flight.  Large birds can even immediately force the replacement of severely damaged or lost feathers and not wait for the usual molting season.

Molting in most passerines takes from 5 to 12 weeks. Raptors, pelicans and parrots have some of the longest molt cycles and may take up to two years to replace all of their feathers. Ducks often molt in as little as two weeks, with a brief flightless period during the accelerated molting. Canada geese will drop all their primary and secondary wing feathers and become flightless during their molt.

“Waterfowl are well adapted to survive during this flightless period because they inhabit wetlands, which provide food, shelter, and safety without the immediate need to fly. Molting geese continue to graze on land while flightless, but they never travel too far from water and are excellent runners.

Molting waterfowl typically select wetlands that best suit their escape strategies. For example, dabbling ducks such as mallards, northern pintails, and blue-winged teal typically hide in dense vegetation when threatened, so these ducks gather to molt on large permanent wetlands with dense stands of bulrush or other emergent vegetation that provides ample cover. In contrast, molting diving ducks such as canvasbacks, lesser scaup, and redheads prefer large bodies of open water, where they can dive to escape threats.”  (source Ducks Unlimited, ducks.org)

“Why should synchronous molters have evolved this seemingly risky process instead of undergoing a gradual molt like most birds? These birds tend to be heavy relative to their wing surfaces — they have high “wing loading.” The loss of only a few flight feathers would seriously compromise their flying ability, and so evolution has favored being grounded for a “quick overhaul” rather than a longer period of difficult flying.”   (source Stanford.edu)

All species fall into 1 of 3 categories: One complete molt per year: Chickadees, flycatchers, hawks, hummingbirds, jays, owls, swallows, thrushes, vireos, and woodpeckers. One complete molt and one partial molt before the breeding season: Buntings, tanagers, and warblers, molt all their feathers after nesting and assume their basic plumage. Then, before the next breeding season, they have a partial molt of their body feathers that gives the males their bright alternate (breeding) plumage. Though females don’t typically molt into bright plumage, they do go through this same partial molt. Two complete molts per year: Only a few species undergo two full molts per year. Most of these live in areas where the environment causes significant feather wear and tear such as  Marsh Wrens and Bobolinks

While the plumage on head and body may appear thin or uneven during the molt (wing feathers are molted separately and later), the bird’s general shape is maintained. The bird must retain sufficient feathers to regulate its body temperature, be able to fly, and repel moisture. Feather loss is symmetrical on each side.

The number of feathers is changed in the process of molting; winter plumage may contain more than half again as many feathers as summer plumage.  Nonbreeding plumage is called basic plumage.  Breeding plumage is generally much brighter and more colorful.  Feathers make up 4-12% of a bird’s body weight and it takes a large amount of energy to replace them. For this reason, other than breeding plumage, molts often occur immediately before or after the breeding season, while food is abundant. Young birds must shed down feathers into subadult plumages. In its second year, young birds will replace their first flight feathers.

The majority of birds molt tail feathers from the center of the tail first, and then progressively toward each side. Woodpeckers, who need stiff center tail feathers to brace on tree trunks are the exception and molt from outside to inside, losing the centers when other feathers can take the bracing load.

Most birds undergo a “sequential molt,” in which their flight feathers are lost one at a time from the innermost primary feather to the tip of the wing. This allows many birds to retain their flight capabilities while molting.

Most raptors replace primaries in order from P1-P10.  This will be simultaneous on both wings so that they can still fly well.

Adult turkey vultures show obvious signs of molt in the warmer months. It takes a turkey vulture over one year to grow it’s foot-long flight feathers, one by one.  The older flight feathers are lighter, faded and tattered. There will be noticeable gaps in the wings where new feathers are growing.

Some species acquire their adult plumage in a single year. Others require up to 5 years (bald eagles, for example) to reach full adult plumage.

Molting can be a dangerous period for birds. Flying may be difficult if not impossible while molting, making them more susceptible to predators. While feathers are missing, a bird’s insulation and protection from poor weather is compromised. If a bird does not get proper nutrition during this time, its feathers may be thinner or poorly formed.

Backyard birders can help by providing a rich, reliable food source along with safe, secure shelter for birds that become more elusive and shy while molting.

Become a conservation activist to ensure that the habitats needed for successful nesting and molting are not destroyed. Remember that human disturbance can be extremely disruptive to breeding, nesting, and molting birds, potentially decreasing survival. Fight to protect our fragile wetlands and boreal forests.

Resources and further reading:  Thespruce.com; ducks.org; Wikipedia.org. Hawk Watch International; allaboutbirds.org

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