BT

Bushtit




Here is a good example of a molt limit in a bewick's wren wing. You can see a slight color difference between the shafts of the outer three large feathers (the primaries) and the inner ones. The outer feathers have a dark brown color to them, whereas the inner ones have a light brown color. The darker brown indicates newer feathers. When you can see two generations of feathers in a wing at this time of year, it generally means that this is a first year bird because as an adult it would have undergone a complete molt, and would not show any remaining older feathers.