Last summer I published a post on “Featherless Cardinals.” This Spring found all our cardinals sporting a full head of feathers once more. As soon as the weather grew hot enough to enable feather mites to thrive…oh my…our cardinal from last year seemed afflicted once again. Several of his lady friends are also displaying, or should I say are minus, a few head-feathers too. The condition doesn’t seem to bother them though, and they are a unique sight in the backyard trees.
MINDING MY P'S WITH Q 
Kathy, Cornell has a good article on balding birds (includes cardinals).
http://feederwatch.org/learn/unusual-birds/
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Thanks so much Janie for the link. As always the Cornell site is excellent. I really enjoyed watching the owlets this past Spring season. I need to visit the site even through summer. Thanks again! 🙂
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You’re very welcome, Kathy. I had watched the Cornell web cams for the Barn Owls for a number of years. First nest featured was in Bencia, CA – believe that lasted for 2 seasons. Then we were switched over to the Barn Owls in Texas. (believe I did that for 4 seasons).Somehow (can’t remember why/how) I transitioned over to the Red-Tailed Hawks.
With the Barn Owls (every single season) the last hatchling(s) would not survive to becoming fledgling(s). We always named the last one Tiny and would cheer him/her on in chat. As you know, the size disparity in the chicks which hatched earlier was considerable. Without fail, Tiny (from every clutch) would die from starvation. With 7-8 mouths competing for food, it was not a surprising outcome but heart-breaking. Tiny would always disappear (eaten), difficult to watch on the cam. I can only recall 1 single group of all the hatchlings fledging without the loss of any chick.
Cornell’s red-tails, Big Red (BR) and Ezra (EZ) have always had just 3 eggs every season. There is an abundance of food for the chicks and they have all fledged. EZ is an excellent provider and brooder- BR would have to chase him off the nest. LOL! Unfortunately, if I am recalling correctly, we have lost at least 1 every year due to accidents on Cornell’s campus. Following BR and EZ for the past 4 seasons (instead of the Barn Owls) has been easier on my psyche/heart.
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Hi Jane, I don’t remember how many hatchlings for sure, but I thought there were three. One day I saw there were just two, and I wonder if that is what happened. I thought one might have been in a corner or out of camera’s view. That is very sad. I’ll have to follow more closely next year. I also watched the condor, but it never moved very much, so I lost interest in it sooner.
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Love the red colour. Thank you for sharing !
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Yes, they are lovely, and those feathers will grow back when the weather gets cooler. At least now his head is probably cool. I hope he is not getting sunburn though. It is very hot here…several days, maybe two weeks worth of a heat wave.
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