I was sitting out in the backyard doing paperwork, ok laptop work, 🙂 and this guy landed at the feeder. I was like, looks like a Cardinal but that isn’t a Cardinal head!?!?!? Ok I got to get a picture, went to get my camera and of course he was gone.
So over the next few days every time I went out in the backyard I brought my camera with me and finally got this shot of him. Now if you can imagine this, I’m sitting out at the patio table with the umbrella up, it’s raining out, talking on the cell phone to a friend and there he is! So balancing the cell phone in my ear, with the camera up to my eye, snap, got him! LoL
After doing a little google research, I found it’s the bald cardinal sometimes called “pinhead” or “mini red vulture”. LoL….Gotta love Google!
Cardinals can go bald for a couple of reasons. This time of year the birds are molting so before the new feathers grow in the old feathers fall out and for some reason cardinals will sometimes lose all the feathers on their head. The skin is black and without the fluffy feathers, their head looks teeny tiny especially with the massive bill.
Sometimes birds will get feather mites and all their feathers will get eaten away by the mites and the birds are bald until they grow in new ones. However, if you are seeing bald cardinals this time of year, it’s a safe bet that they are molting.
Since “Dude”, (yea I named him, LoL) has started visiting my backyard, he has given me inspiration. I’ve noticed he and his “better half” have a nest in the yard. After realizing this another thought hit me. If “Dude” was human, probably no one would date him because he is different. If “Dude” was human and in high school, he would be picked on and bullied for being “different.” If “Dude” was human and walking down the street people would stop and stare because he is “different.”
What does that say to us about the way humans act sometimes? Nature doesn’t care if one of her creations is a little different, why does it bother some of us humans?
I say embrace those differences, make those differences your strengths! “Dude” does and through it he gave a little inspiration to this human! 🙂
As Always have a great day and Stay Positive!
Carl's Blog - Visions Photography - 319-286-8483 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Des Moines, Chicago 
That is one freaky looking beaky bird!
I totally agree! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂