# It's a Cardinal! It's a Vulture! It's a... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cardinal-its-a-vulture-its-a/660871 "2013-06-13T02:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cardinal-its-a-vulture-its-a/660871/1 "2013-06-13T02:15:42Z")
Well, it’s a [Cardinal](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/Picture31640_zps24fee33a.jpg). I’ve been trying to snap a pic of this freak for a month now, but he’s cagey. Jr. got him yesterday, and boom he flies off. The bird, not the boy. He comes to the feeders on the deck, he hangs around in the trees. He seems uninjured, but WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG THIS BIRD? Close call with my cat or a fox? Mites? Affiliated with Illinois Nazis? Mama had a fling with a Turkey Vulture? Is he just going through a phase? I gots ta know. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cardinal-its-a-vulture-its-a/660871/2 "2013-06-13T02:48:21Z")
Wow. Quick google … and [no one really knows](http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/BaldBirds.htm). > [@](#): > > One possible explanation for this phenomenon is an abnormal replacement of feathers (molt). Most bald-headed bird reports occur in summer and fall, which are typical molting times. Many of these strange-looking birds may be juveniles undergoing their first prebasic molt, which produces the first winter adult plumage. For some unknown reason, the bald birds may have dropped all of their head feathers at once. Staggered feather replacement is the normal pattern. > > Other cases of baldness may result from feather mites or lice, or some environmental or nutritional factor. But no one knows for sure, and the condition has not been well studied. Fortunately, new head feathers grow in within a few weeks. … ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cardinal-its-a-vulture-its-a/660871/3 "2013-06-13T03:14:28Z")
He’s not a cardinal. He’s a Skexi.