H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Molting or Moulting in Birds

In birds, molting is the periodic replacement of feathers by shedding old feathers while producing new ones. Feathers are dead structures at maturity, and they become gradually worn down and need to be replaced. Adult birds molt at least once a year, though many molt twice, and a few three times. It is a comparatively slow process, as a bird never sheds all its feathers at once; it must keep enough of its feathers to regulate its body temperature and repel moisture. The amount of shed feathers varies. In some molting periods, a bird may renew only the feathers on the head and body, shedding the wing and tail feathers during a later molting period.

Note: I’ve observed that molting had happened more that once in a short period of time and it might have been triggered by the intense heat of the actual hot summer. The molt process can be altered by changes on dietary ingestion, temperature or presence of molds or mites invasion.

All the photos were taken on the same day August 2nd, 2012

Click on first image to see enlargements

Text and photographs are © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101