r/feathers • u/TigerGlittering1397 • Oct 12 '24

Dead barn owl or molted feathers (Bay Area) Feather

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Came across this on a hike, could this be from a molt?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

4

u/StompingBird Oct 12 '24

Definitely not a molt. There's group of feathers stuck together. So that means it was plucked off.

3

u/budgie-n-bear Bird Enthusiast Oct 12 '24

Unless you have a owl that is there 24/7, I think they would have been attacked, but not dead. Did the feathers look oily, or split? If so, it was probably a attack. If they looked normal and soft, probably a molt. I’m not a professional tho I’m just lending you my opinion :)

2

u/budgie-n-bear Bird Enthusiast Oct 12 '24

But it is unlikely hey would lose this many feathers at once in a molt

2

u/Electronic_Buy_6709 Oct 12 '24

Looks like it might have been attacked they don’t usually lose this many feathers at once in a molt and they kinda look like ripped off?

2

u/Khaniker Feather Enthusiast Oct 12 '24

Nahhh that's not a molt. Brother got SNIPED! By what, I'm not entirely sure.

When you see feathers in a big group like that 90% chance it was an attack.