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Re: bald cardinal



I've seen cardinals and Blue Jays with this problem­baldness.  It is due to
feather mites (or lice, forget which).  The bird can pick the mites off most
parts of the body, but not the head, can't reach them with its beak.  The
feathers will grow back.

It is curious though, why  I' haven't seen other birds with featherless
heads (or can't remember having seen any), mostly cardinals, and as
mentioned above, a few Blue Jays.  Perhaps it's their high visibilty around
backyards?  Perhaps they don't pratice "anting" as much as some of the other
species?

Greg
--
Greg Dodge
Durham, NC
http://www.brownbagproductions.com