{"id":72661,"date":"2020-08-13T05:50:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=72661"},"modified":"2025-10-17T06:39:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:39:38","slug":"messy-molting-song-sparrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/08\/13\/messy-molting-song-sparrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Messy, Molting Song Sparrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SongSong Sparrow in molt \u2013 <\/em>Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

August is a time of the year when I often see messy, molting birds here in northern Utah. Some are the young of the year and some are adults, all of them look a tiny bit wrung out and raggedy.<\/p>\n

Kind of like some of us who haven’t had a haircut since early March because of the global pandemic? Unless of course you know someone who is handy with clippers and scissors, or are skilled with them yourself.<\/p>\n

Today I could have shared lovely photos of a two immature Western Tanagers I photographed yesterday but I decided to share images of this molting Song Sparrow.<\/p>\n

Why? Because I can, and because I feel that I should in order to show my feathered subjects in all the stages of their lives.<\/p>\n

\"MoltingMolting Song Sparrow \u2013 <\/em>Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Birds, like people, aren’t always sleek and beautiful and some of the birds I find in my viewfinder this time of the year look a mess. I feel that these molting birds are not only worthy of photographing they are also worthy of highlighting here on my site.<\/p>\n

It is highly likely that this Song Sparrow probably reared young this summer and that can take a toll on these birds.<\/p>\n

This Song Sparrow<\/span><\/a> will replace its damaged feathers quickly and will look like it normally does once again.<\/p>\n

Until then, I still think it is a beautiful, albeit somewhat ruffled, bird.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Song Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Song Sparrow will replace its damaged feathers quickly and will look like it normally does once again. Until then, I still think it is a beautiful, albeit somewhat ruffled, bird.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,5921,4594,204,26,773],"tags":[4004,3940,5931,5943,4202,6022,2312,2313,4069,10298,9927,4023,855,4195],"class_list":["post-72661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-east-canyon","category-morgan-county","category-song-sparrows","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-canyon","tag-dried-grasses","tag-ground","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-messy","tag-molt","tag-molting","tag-mountains","tag-raggedy","tag-ruffled","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-messy-on-ground-mia-mcpherson-0851.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-iTX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":93260,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/14\/song-sparrow-in-molt\/","url_meta":{"origin":72661,"position":0},"title":"Song Sparrow In Molt","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago I photographed a molting Song Sparrow as it perched on an old wooden post high in a mountain canyon in beautiful morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Molting and messy Song Sparrow adult, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-molting-mia-mcpherson-4420.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-molting-mia-mcpherson-4420.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-raggedy-mia-mcpherson-7116.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-raggedy-mia-mcpherson-7116.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-raggedy-mia-mcpherson-7116.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-raggedy-mia-mcpherson-7116.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48544,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/21\/adult-and-immature-song-sparrows\/","url_meta":{"origin":72661,"position":2},"title":"Adult and Immature Song Sparrows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I was able to photograph and adult Song Sparrow eating while perched at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge early in the morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Song Sparrow at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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White-crowned Sparrow molting in Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-molting-mia-mcpherson-3010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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McPherson","date":"April 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"April in northern Utah is a good time to see and photograph molting immature White-crowned Sparrows.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Molting immature White-crowned Sparrow side view, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-molt-side-view-mia-mcpherson-4488.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-molt-side-view-mia-mcpherson-4488.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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