These beautiful birds have returned to our garden for the summer. What is unusual about the way this bird molts?
Answer:
This is a Lazuli Bunting. While most birds molt all at once, Lazuli Buntings have a partial molt at the end of summer, before they start their fall migration south. Then they fly half way, stopping near the US/Mexico border to complete their molt. After about a month, they fly the rest of the way south to spend the winter in Western Mexico.
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