Who needs tail feathers.
Jul 21, 2014 13:24:03 #
I have wrens nesting in my back yard. To my surprise one is missing its tail feathers! Doesn't seem to inhibit the little fellow. What do think happened? Do wrens molt their tail feathers all at once? I did not think so. Just wondering.
Jul 21, 2014 20:29:29 #
Jul 22, 2014 07:53:20 #
oldmalky
Loc: West Midlands,England.
More than likely a failed grab from a predator (a cat)most likely.
Jul 22, 2014 11:01:46 #
The more I thought about it, the more I leaned to a predator. Then this fellow dropped by. Probably looking to finish the job. Luckily I had my camera handy as this Cooper's Hawk did not remain long.
Jul 22, 2014 12:07:50 #
Very interesting shots. You are correct in that birds don't molt all of the tail feathers at one time. It is much more likely that it was a predator that grabbed him/her by the tail. The molting of tail feathers usually proceeds from the inner to the outer ones. Besides, the House Wren usually molts from the middle of August to the Middle of September so it's too early for that.
The Hawk in your last picture appears to be a Sharp-shinned Hawk. They can be quite hard to differentiate between them and the Cooper's. Like the Cooper's, they will hang out near feeders and nest boxes in hopes of finding a "free" lunch.
The Hawk in your last picture appears to be a Sharp-shinned Hawk. They can be quite hard to differentiate between them and the Cooper's. Like the Cooper's, they will hang out near feeders and nest boxes in hopes of finding a "free" lunch.
Jul 22, 2014 22:39:02 #
You may be right. Cooper's Hawk is more common and they are very similar, but this guy has more characteristics of the Sharp Shinned Hawk than Cooper's.
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