{"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_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"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":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t