This is Birdnull.

A female northern cardinal plucks a black oil sunflower seed from a feeder.

Just then, a Cooper's hawk in a nearby tree dives at the cardinal.

With little time to react, the cardinal has one last line of defense.

As the hawk's talons close around her tail feathers, they shed and detach.

The hawk flaps away with a bundle of feathers and the cardinal hurries off to hide in a bush.

This defensive tactic is called a fright molt, when a bird loses feathers due to sudden

stress.

This usually involves feathers near the tail or rum, where they're most likely to be attacked

as they flee.

It can be a saving grace when the bird is about to be caught, similar to a lizard dropping

its tail.

There's a downside to having your tail scared off.

A tail helps the bird turn and balance in flight, but if dropping feathers lets the bird

live to chirp another day, it's worth it.

Fortunately, the cardinal can regrow her tail.

Sometimes the first feathers to grow back are unpigmented and white until they're replaced

by the next regular feather molt.

It may not be high fashion, but it's better than ending up as a meal for a hawk.

For bird note, I'm Ariana Rivel.

Today's show brought to you by the Bobba Link Foundation.