I have had an entertaining time watching the antics at the bird feeder lately. The male birds are coming into their breeding season plumage. And they do look smart.


The female remains a more subdued with just a small patch of color. Much better for being less visible when on the nest.

The Goldfinch boys are molting to their bright yellow feathers. But the females are molting to a much more subdued hue and are more interested in eating seeds.


Here is the female Red Cardinal.

She is much more subdued color than the her male counterpart.

And so it goes. Interesting that in the contemporary human world the males are usually more subdued in their dress and it is the females that dress with color and style. There are notable exceptions but as a rule that is how it goes. In the bird world the female needs to be less eye-catching so as to be safe while nesting.
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