Oh my gosh! What happened to this bird? Is he ill?
No, he’s molting.
This week has been notable for the number of bald blue jays hanging out in my neighborhood. The first one gave me a shock but now there are three and I’m getting used to it.
Many birds are molting now but most of them lose a few feathers at a time so it’s not noticeable. The exceptions – usually blue jays and cardinals – really stand out.
They’re not unique to Pittsburgh. This bird was photographed by Nancy Castillo who writes The Zen Birdfeeder in Saratoga Springs, NY.
So why am I seeing three blue jays with bald heads? At this time of year blue jays hang out in family groups so I might be observing a family with an inherited trait for temporary baldness.
Frankly I can’t wait until they’ve grown their new head feathers. I’m embarrassed for them but it’s nothing a little time won’t heal.
(photo by Nancy Castillo. Click on the photo to see her blog about this bird.)
What timing! A bald headed cardinal has just recently been visiting my backyard feeder.
Kate, I love your blog!!! I never know what I might learn today but it is always interesting. Don’t think I have ever seen a bald headed blue jay. Are they embarassed? What fun. Thank You for all your knowledge and helping us learn new stuff every day!
Never saw one. Comedy & drama everywhere. Thanks again Kate for an interesting tidbit or bird seed bit!!!
We had one this weekend, too. He was also making a strange call we did not recognize as blue jay until we saw him.
I also saw one this weekend. I had always thought they had some kind of infection – glad to know it’s a normal part of life for them.
Yeah me too. Boy I’m i glad I googled this . I thought I might have done something wrong with bird food or something. Sometimes stores like Lowes will sell cheap food cause its old with tiny bugs crawling around in the bag. I never knew that either until a lowes employee said, “don’t buy this food here it has bugs in it . WHOA I SAID.” I couldn’t see any but I definitely took his word for it.
Sandy Nicholas, bugs in bird seed will be a problem if you store the bag indoors. However it’s probably not be bad for the birds. They eat bugs as well as seeds.
I saw a bald blue jay yesterday — how funny-looking! Fortunately, my cardinal family still seem to have their crests. I have a new digital camera and have been trying to get some photos , but so far the cardinals haven’t been willing to “pose” for me! I’ve had slightly better luck with the hummingbirds!
At the yard feeder:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/VAdame/Birdies/KJ003.jpg
And at the porch feeder (taken through a window, distorted a bit by screen):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/VAdame/Birdies/Hummers005.jpg
She’s out there now, in fact! 🙂
Here in Ky,I’ve been feeding the same male and female bald-ish cardinals for 3 years that I know.I did feed them any peanuts Ihad,but now I only buy unsalted,hoping it helps them heal.Now theres a bald BlueJay coming around.
Nice post and thanks for sharing my bald Blue Jay!
We have a bald blue jay, as well. We are in Gainesville, GA. It’s a little comical, and my kids come running when I announce its presence at the bird feeder.
I have also seen a bald male cardinal for the last few days at my backyard feeder in crawford county – it really had me checking my bird book to try to identify this strange looking bird -thanks for your info — i follow your birdblog regularly
I just saw about eight of them in my front yard. I thought something was wrong with them at first. This post made me feel a lot better. thanks for posting it.
We live in Ontario and have 2 bald Jays at the feeder. They look healthy other than their heads. Do you really think they are molting or is it a weird gene.
Thanks for your timely posting!! I had one blue jay earlier this month that went bald and this morning I had 3 more blue jays with bald heads. In all of my years of feeding the birds at my Berkley, Michigan home, I never knew that blue jays molt their head feathers. In the past, I’ve seen a couple blue jays and crows with bald heads but I thought they were sick. I was really concern when I saw so many bald headed blue jays!! Thanks again for your timely posting and judging from the comments I feel better that I’m not the only one concerned!
I just had a bald blue jay at my feeder and it also made a strange call as SueG posted a year ago. Why do they make a different call during this time of molting or is it just coincidence?? I would not have ever suspected that was a jay making that noise if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes!
I haven’t heard the strange call… but maybe I haven’t been paying attention.
I started seeing a bald jay about a week ago by the feeder, and I just thought he was sick. When a few more started to show up, I scolded my cat, for what I thought was wounds on the birds! I am very relieved to find out that the baldness is perfecly normal. Thank you for your great info. Now I must apologize to my cat!
One at camp now. I have seen them before and thought they had some kind of disease. Glad to know its nothing more than molting.this one is camera shy…..can’t say as I blame her(him) most likely a female…everyone knows how we don’t like getting out picture taken unless we look just right.
Thanks so much…best write up of why bj’s go bald. I feed my jays peanuts in the shell every day. At one time I had 13! Then almost all went bald and their vocals went wild. When in 2 years they were gone, I thought they all died. I have a new family this year…they’re calling now for peanuts now…twice a day..at 7am and whatever time iget home from work. They share the peanuts with cardinals and squirrels. Bless them all.
Well, here I am in Nova Scotia in 2017 Googling “bald Blue Jays” and up pops your website.
Yup it’s August.
Yup they look odd.
Glad they’re just molting.
We jokingly call the 2 bald-ish cardinalsThe Pinheads!Its cute to watck the male come get the pieces of peanut and take it,with her close behind ,over to the shrubs.He knows how to swoon a girl!haha!