Just as people make seasonal wardrobe changes, many birds experience a transformation of their own, losing and replacing their feathers in a process known as molting.

Molting is when a bird replaces some (partial molt) or all (full molt) of its feathers.

This complicated process requires a lot of energy and may take up to eight weeks to complete. Molting is physically demanding for birds. Most ducks and geese can’t fly and will molt in seclusion to avoid predators.

Molting season varies by species and time of year but July and August is prime molting time for many species.

Distinguishing birds that are molting from those that are not can be difficult. Though some birds may lose patches of feathers and appear “balding,” most birds’ feather loss and replacement are far less noticeable.

Feathers are made of more than 90% protein, primarily keratins, so every molting bird needs extra proteins to grow strong feathers for proper flight and effective insulation.

How To Help Molting Birds

It's normal to assume molting birds are sick. The best thing to do is leave them alone and keeps pets away. A good backyard habitat will provide cover so they can escape or hide from pets or other predators.

Make sure water is available.

Offer additional high-protein bird foods such as our Nesting SuperBlend. It can be offered exclusively or mix it in with the current seed blend you are using. Offer other foods such as Nyjer® (thistle), peanuts, Jim’s Birdacious® Bark Butter® and mealworms, to ensure that your birds have a reliable source of protein to help them with molting.

Visit us soon for all of the high-protein foods that will meet your birds’ needs.

We have everything you need to help your birds keep going (and re-growing feathers) during this critical time.

#SaveTheSongBirds