Molting is a complex procedure that all birds go through at various
times in their lives. It’s the process of shedding damaged or dull
feathers, to be replaced with feathers appropriate to the time of
year and the sex of the bird. At the beginning of breeding season,
the males of some species of songbirds go through a large molt into
their breeding plumage. They do this to compete with other males of
the same species for possible mates. American Goldfinches,
Bobolinks, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, and most warblers, are
the most well known for their drastic color changes.
Here is a series of pictures showing the molting process of male
American Goldfinches into breeding plumage. These pictures were
taken over this past winter in my backyard.
For further reading on molting, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
web site at www.birds.cornell.edu
