bare birdie

[ladybug]

can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is . The little fellow seems to have no feathers, he was at the mo. botanical gardens.
1354

[nkeevers]

Judy, don't know what type he is but I feel bad for the poor bird! Eeks! No feathers?

I'm sure someone knows what he is.

[swalkr]

can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is . The little fellow seems to have no feathers, he was at the mo. botanical gardens.
1354

Looks like a female cardinal that is molting. Just a guess.

[ladybug]

Hey now that makes lots of sense. I have never seen a bird this bare, except the little babys. Thanks for answering.

[Chuck S.]

I agree with Suzanne. The beak says Cardinal.

[NMarti]

Judy
I think he flew there from my house. :D I live about 20 miles from there. I actually saw a "naked cardinal" in my front yard last spring. I have no idea why he lost his feathers on his head and back but he was "naked as a jaybird". My daughter saw him at her house this summer eating from her feeder. That is definitely a cardinal and now it has me wondering if there is some sort of problem that the cardinals are all going naked. :eek::D

[Chuck S.]

Here's an article on the subject:

Bald Cardinals (http://web.syr.edu/~bpburtt/Birds/Feb22-04.htm)

[smiles]

I agree also female cardinal. I have seen quiet a few of the cardinals around my house going through this process (molting), within the last three weeks.

[ladybug]

thank you all so much. Nancy i am about 50 or so miles from the mo. bot. gardens. Chuck thanks for posting the website article on this, it was neat and really informative. Glad to know its a cardinal, one of my favorite birds. my favorite of course is my cherry headed avitar. Thank you all for your responses.:D

[ChristineV]

Yep, that was my first thought too .. Female cardinal

[NMarti]

Thanks Chuck. That's really interesting and it says they are usually late summer. My baldy was in the spring and was definitely a male so he may have had a mite problem. I was trying to get a picture but he flew away too quick. (OK - my real intention was to point out to my husband "male pattern baldness" even happens to birds :D }