Cardinals

Fright Molt View 1

I was surprised to see an adult female cardinal with no tail. When I researched, I learned some birds are able to survive by means of something called fright molt where a bird ejects all the tail feathers at once. Fright molt is a survival mechanism that helps a bird escape from a predator. The frightened bird sacrifices its tail for its life. The sacrifice is only temporary. New tail feathers grow in after four to six weeks.
Female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

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