When a hawk is about to capture a songbird, the songbird has one last trick: a fright molt. It’s when a bird loses feathers due to sudden stress. This usually involves feathers near the tail or rump, where they’re most likely to be attacked as they flee. It can be a saving grace when the bird is about to be caught — similar to a lizard dropping its tail. There’s a downside to having your tail scared off. A tail helps the bird turn and balance in flight. But if dropping feathers lets the bird live to chirp another day, it’s worth it.
With little time to react, the cardinal has one last line of defense. As the hawk’s talons close around her tail feathers, they shed and detach. The hawk flaps away with a bundle of feathers, and the cardinal hurries off to hide in a bush.
This defensive tactic is called a fright molt: when a bird loses feathers due to sudden stress. This usually involves feathers near the tail or rump, where they’re most likely to be attacked as they flee. It can be a saving grace when the bird is about to be caught — similar to a lizard dropping its tail.
There’s a downside to having your tail scared off. A tail helps the bird turn and balance in flight. But if dropping feathers lets the bird live to chirp another day, it’s worth it.
Fortunately, the cardinal can regrow her tail. Sometimes the first feathers to grow back are unpigmented and white until they’re replaced by the next regular feather molt. It may not be high fashion, but it’s better than ending up as a meal for a hawk.
### Senior Producer: John Kessler Content Director: Allison Wilson Producer: Mark Bramhill Managing Producer: Conor Gearin Thanks to Katie Meyer for this idea. Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Northern Cardinal ML 337365371 recorded by J. Holmes, Northern Cardinal ML 221179231 recorded by W. Hershberger, and Cooper’s Hawk ML 231229351 recorded by A. Spencer. BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler. © 2022 BirdNote June 2022 Narrator: Ariana Remmel
I also saw a tail-less bird visit my feeder this summer. It was a Song Sparrow that I called “Stubby. It was kind of fun to have a Song Sparrow that stood out from the others because they all tend to look the same. Clever, huh? I used to say good morning to Stubby every morning as I looked out the window. Then one day Stubby stopped coming to my feeder.
Please look at this picture of the mourning dove. Notice that it doesn’t have a tail. Do you know what happened? The dove appears a little odd without its tail, resembling a feathered ocarina. Can the bird survive like that?.
A feathered ocar-what, Paula? I’m not real familiar with ocarinas. Should I be? Don’t get me wrong. Researching a little is nothing new to me; it’s what I do. However, I would prefer not to have to look up the terms in your query as well. Try to remember that I only know about birds. Is the ocarina that mid-1990s dance craze? No, I believe that was the Macarena.
Conversely, tails aren’t always used to signal hostility. Sometimes they’re important for romance. Everybody has seen how enormous a tom turkey’s tail can get when he’s seeking affection. During spring courtship, the male Wilson’s Snipe makes a winnowing sound with the outer edges of his tail.
Cooper’s hawks are among the hawks with unusually long tails that help them outmaneuver prey. Spreading their wings and tails, soaring birds use the warm air currents to propel themselves forward. Tails provide extra balance for cardinals and other perching birds. Even birds communicate nonverbally with their tails. White tail feathers are flashed by Juncos and Towhees to warn rivals to stay away. When House Wrens are angry—and they’re always angry—they spread their tails.
The cardinal has one last line of defense, but there is not much time to respond. The hawk’s talons shed and separate the feathers from her tail as they close around them. The cardinal quickly runs off to hide in a bush as the hawk takes off with a bundle of feathers.
The last maneuver a songbird has before being caught by a hawk is a fright molt. It’s when a bird loses feathers due to sudden stress. This usually affects the feathers around the rump or tail, as that is where predators are most likely to attack them as they run. When the bird is about to be caught, it can be a lifesaver, much like a lizard letting go of its tail. There’s a downside to having your tail scared off. A tail helps the bird turn and balance in flight. However, it’s worth it if the bird can survive to chirp another day after losing its feathers.
Fortunately, the cardinal can regrow her tail. Sometimes, until the next regular feather molt replaces them, the first feathers to grow back are white and unpigmented. It might not be haute couture, but at least it’s not going to become a hawk’s dinner.
A fright molt is a defensive strategy used by birds when they lose feathers as a result of abrupt stress. This usually affects the feathers around the rump or tail, as that is where predators are most likely to attack them as they run. When the bird is about to be caught, it can be a lifesaver, much like a lizard letting go of its tail.
### Senior Producer: John Kessler Content Director: Allison Wilson Producer: Mark Bramhill Managing Producer: Conor Gearin Thanks to Katie Meyer for this idea. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds in Ithaca, New York, provided the bird sounds. Northern Cardinal ML 337365371 recorded by J. Holmes, Northern Cardinal ML 221179231 recorded by W. Hershberger, and Cooper’s Hawk ML 231229351 recorded by A. Spencer. The theme for BirdNote was written and performed by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler. © 2022 BirdNote June 2022 Narrator: Ariana Remmel.
FAQ
Can a bird fly with damaged tail feathers?
What happens when a bird loses its tail feathers?
Are tail feathers important to birds?
Can birds survive without tails?