Just A Sparrow
Posted by Mary Ann Simmons on June 25, 2006
Q: We have several female sparrows with no tails feeding at our feeder(woodpecker mix). They look exactly the same as the other female House Sparrows but without any tail. I have searched the bird books but can't identify the birds. Since I have seen two "tail less" birds simultaneously, I know it is not just one bird without a tail. They fly very well.
Thanks for your help.
Mary Ann Simmons
State: Illinois
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Sounds as though your birds are just molting feathers - losing their old ones and gaining new. My experience has been that some songbirds will lose all of their tail feathers at once before growing new ones. Although they can still fly, as you pointed out, quick stops or direction changes are not as easy for them. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( June 26, 2006)