From The Raptor Trust
Eastern Screech Owls often go through a 'catastrophic molt" which means that they shed all their feathers at once. Molting helps birds like Weird Alice shed feather parasites, grow in a new 'do, and get ready for migration, if that's what their species does. Weird Alice will look a little silly for a while, but when her feathers grow back she will be her normal beautiful self.
I'm going back here in 2 weeks, so I hope to get to see her looking extra weird!
I would legit watch a Muppets/Weird Al movie. This seems like a sadly overlooked market. ๐