I promised you an exciting post about the fantastic mystery of molting and I’m not one to go back on my word. What got me thinking about molting – wait, does everyone know what I’m talking about? Let’s start with a definition.
Molt: to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically.
So, what got me thinking about this was that after the snow melted in these parts, I began to see lots of feathers on the side of the road while I was out walking. Not all the roads, just the busy county road that goes past our house. And not even there until you got far enough out that you’re walking next to fields. If you’re like me, you don’t think about birds and their molting habits much. I have my own molting to worry about: shedding hair and skin cells takes a lot of time and energy out of my life.
I found an Audubon website where I read up on the topic a little. Most birds molt once a year and after checking their calendars for breeding and migration times, they schedule it in for any other time but those times to conserve energy. For bigger birds, losing huge flight feathers has to be spread out over a few years. The article referenced a book called Peterson Reference Guide to Molt in North American Birds. I don’t have (or want) this book, so I’m just going to have to make stuff up from here on out.
Actually, I just have a few questions:
1. Should I assume that these feathers were from an old molting time or could they be fresh?
2. Why are they only on this road?
3. Did they blow to the side of the road from the field?
4. Do birds have to remove these feathers, or do they fall out naturally? (The Peterson Guide to Molting would come in handy here, but on principle I would never buy a book which seems designed as a cure for insomnia.)
5. Are these all from the same kind of bird?
The more I see, the more questions I have, and the more I want to know.
I agree with the psalmist:
The works of the Lord are great,
Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
The Mystery of Molting – a Haiku
I’m losing feathers.
Oops, there goes another one.
Oh well – they’ll grow back.
I’ll probably molt this in the morning.
Lynniebeemuseoday 