It's summer molt season for our local Red-Tailed Hawks as they discard the feathers they've had for the last year and replace them with new plumage. Resident male Charlie is going through a noticeable wardrobe change.
These two photos of him from late June show him in his regular state of sleekness.
This unflattering image was taken on August 14th. He looks pretty roughed up, and I believe he's fresh out of a bath, making him look even more shaggy.
It may be hard to see in the photo, but Charlie's head is very pale. He's lost a lot of the darker feathers on his face and neck.
This photo, taken August 2nd, was the first day I could really see that Charlie was molting. The raggedy tail is the most obvious - he should have twelve tail feathers, but he only has six full-length and three half-grown tail feathers. His head and body also look disheveled.
Last year, Christo displayed some dramatic molting, and Charlie looks to be going through a similar experience.
These photos were taken on August 6th within Tompkins Square Park.
Here is a better look at Charlie's tail. He has a couple of feathers on the right side of his tail that have some banding on them, markers unique to him.
Charlie's eyes are still bright and light, and are striking in person.
With so many feathers missing from his head, Charlie's eyes really stand out.
This photo is not my best work, but I like that it shows all of Charlie's primary and secondary flight feathers, as well as his tail.
By October, the hawks should look new and spiffy.
So, why don't I have any photos of Amelia? For one reason, she doesn't look all that bad. If it weren't for missing tail feathers, she doesn't look much different than usual. For another reason, I just haven't been able to get any adequate photos. She's been spending the last few weeks up on top of Most Holy Redeemer church on E 3rd Street, or other high places where I can't see her as well. Charlie has been looking after his offspring all summer, so he's been more easily accessible.
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