FLYING AROUND THE FARLEIGHS
OI! WHO ARE YOU GAWPING AT?
A natural response forthcoming from many a bird at this time of year to being stared at by a curious human. Although, to be fair, they do sometimes look a real mess, even like a victim of the dreaded neighbourhood moggy, in which case they deserve sympathy rather than curiosity.
The mess is usually caused by the bird’s normal process of annual moult. All adult small birds replace every one of their feathers once a year after they finish breeding, and juveniles like this robin replace all those on the body but retain their wing and tail feathers. Damaged and worn feathers have to be replaced to maintain their waterproofing and insulation properties, so each one is shed, and a new one grown in its place.
Not all at the same time though. The change of wing feathers must be carefully coordinated so they maintain the ability to fly, and enough body feathers must be available to keep them warm and dry.
In many birds it’s not very noticeable as a dull brown plumage may just look a little unkempt. However, in the case of some juvenile birds, like this robin, the first set of feathers they grow in the nest are very different from their adult set. It’s a slow business too, as each old feather is first replaced by a waxy sheath from which the ‘feathery’ part of the new one grows. In this picture, you can see these waxy sheaths pointing downwards from dead centre of the bird’s breast where the brown juvenile feathers are being replaced by the red. When this bird finishes its moult, as a robin, that’s when its troubles will start. As soon as he looks like an adult, the resident robins – male and female – will chase it away. Robins are fiercely territorial, including in winter when food is scarce. Your garden handouts are a lifeline for many birds, but robins won’t want to share with another, hence life can get very tough for an inexperienced juvenile that may look adult but hasn’t yet risen up the pecking order.
Starlings, on the other hand, are a perfect example of how the moult progresses as their dull brown juvenile plumage is replaced feather by feather to produce their iridescent adult finery.
It’s something to look out for while garden birdwatching at this time of year. But please remember, it’s rude to stare!