Can Norther Cardinals have no crest? (1 Viewer)

Hello from Boston, USA.

My backyard is always filled with Norther Cardinals, but today, I saw what look like female cardinals but without crest. They were just about the size of cardinals, with bright orange bill and brownish body color, feeding from berry suet. I would have identified them as female cardinals but for the absence of crest. I'm attaching a picture that I took hastily, but it's out of focus, because of the distance.

Can northern cardinals have no crest?

Hello there and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum :t:

Yes, in fact they can be bald at this time of year although I see it more in the males than the females. What causes the feather loss? The thoughts on this are molting or mite infestation and the added stress of raising their broods. Fear not, they will get all their feathers back.