A male Mauritian Fody, locally known as a cardinal, is in the process of losing his summer feathers. In a few days or a week or so, he will be the same colour as a female, which is mostly grey-brown. They look pretty ragged and scruffy during this period.
When the following summer arrives, the brilliant red plumage reappears again.
A vivid looking bird that would catch one's eye during the summer. Unlike this bird, our male cardinals stay red all the time once they become adults. It's actually difficult to tell the immature males from the females.
