Adult Plumage Issues

Yesterday I noted that some late summer molting has been taking place among adult birds. But we also have some transformations among the young. Case in point: this juvenile male Northern Cardinal. He's a later waver (probably the product of a third nest effort) and he's finally starting to take on the appearance of an adult bird. His bill is beginning to look adult orange, the dull red/brown plumage is falling away, and even his crest looks like something. The Cardinal family group from 2010 is on the large size, so he'll need to eat hearty for in springtime he's likely to be forced out into a new territory. His plumage will show us how healthy he is and what his chances are likely to be when that time comes. But there's a lot of seed available around here and health should not be a big concern. And I will have many bright red Cardinals around during the cold times this winter!