MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 15, 2021
The nesting season has come to a close for many of our Maine birds. That means that many of our migratory breeding birds will be departing soon for their wintering grounds. Some have already left. Migration, even for short distances, is an arduous task that demands a high expenditure of energy. Two other events in a bird’s life entail equally high energy costs: nesting and molting. The costs of each activity are so high that no bird can do two of them at once. Generally, birds undergo one complete molt every year when every contour feather on their body is replaced. ~ Herb Wilson