Sunday 2 August 2015

Juv Goldcrest gets its 'crest'

Two of the first three birds caught and ringed at the sewerage treatment works yesterday were juv Goldcrests. The first was in completely juvenile plumage - no crest, but the second was undergoing its post-juvenile moult, replacing fluffy olive green crown feathers with the characteristic 'gold' feathers that give the species its name. Interestingly not only is this individual growing yellow 'gold' but orange 'gold', so it can confidently be identified as a male, even at this early stage.

No comments:

Post a Comment