Expert: Julia Booth - 8/29/2010

Question
Hi, I have a general question about wild birds in general. During the molt, is it true they don't vocalize (sing) and why? Thanks, Gloria

Answer
Yes, the majority of bird species will not sing during their regular molt. This does not just apply to wild birds, but birds in general. The canary is especially known for this, for some reason. Probably because it's so well known for its singing.

Birds that can speak, like mynas, parrots, and ravens, will often refrain from doing so, during their regular molt.

There are birds that will molt at different times and for other reasons.

If you have pet birds and they start molting, it can be a sign of illness, or simply an indication that they are enduring too much stress. Cockatiels for instance, are known for pulling out their own feathers under stress.

It can also mean that they are being attacked or abused by other birds in their immediate environment. Some birds will attack members of their own species who are weak or sick, or close to death.

As for the reason why they don't sing during their molt. I wish I had a definite, scientific explanation to give you. But I don't.

There are a number of theories. Here are the ones that I favor, which are based purely on logic. Birds will not normally molt during the time of year when they should be attracting a mate. They generally attract a mate by singing. So when they are molting, they are looking rather unattractive and therefore refrain from singing, so they will not draw any unwanted attention to themselves.

They would also prefer not to draw attention to themselves because molting can put them at such a physical disadvantage.

While molting, they unable to move about or fly as skillfully as they might during the rest of the year, meaning they are vulnerable to attack.

Birds do things in seasons, meaning there are different songs for different times of the year. I was going to type out a long, drawn out explanation of that. But I found this website.

They have done an excellent job explaining the different sounds a bird may make during the year. It's only about a page long. But if you're willing to wade through it, this is an excellent resource.

http://www.wildbird.com/bird-songs.html

This is also a good site:

http://canarybirdpetadoption.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-doesnt-my-canary-sing.html

If you need more information, let me know.


Happy birding,


Julia