Bald Bluejay

[PixelRabbit]

Poor ugly fella!
I spotted this guy around the house a few days ago, it was shocking at first! He looks so sickly!
I looked it up and apparently this is uncommon but most common in the jays but happens to cardinals also. They aren't sure what causes it, might be mites that they can't remove, might be a "fast" molt (normally it goes in stages) but apparently the feathers all grow back and he will have a beautiful crown again

 

[cgipson1]

zombie jay!

 

[PixelRabbit]

Lol yes Charlie!
My first thought when I saw him was damn who tried to eat his head??

 

[forrah123]

Nice shots!

 

[WesternGuy]

Nice capture - sharp and the colours are well-defined. I did not know that blue jays and cardinals go through this molt - probably because we don't have cardinals on the prairies and blue jays are very few and far between - learn something new everyday. Thanks.

WesternGuy

 

[emoxley]

Yeah, here's a cardinal going through the same thing. I thought it was molting, which most, if not all birds go through at one time or another............

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks Forrah, WesternGuy and Emoxley.

Emoxley, neat shot!

 

[Railphotog]

I got one like that last year:



I sent the photo to the local paper for a feature hosted by a naturalist. He said the condition is caused by mites, the feathers do grow in after a while. Kinda weird looking!