First summer juvenile
© Heather Paul
Young birds take four years to reach fully adult plumage. During this time they go through several plumage stages and can be very variable in appearance. First-winter birds are gray-brown with a dark tail, a brown rump with dark bars, dark outer primaries and pale inner primaries, dark eyes and a dark bill which usually develops a paler base through the winter. The head is often paler than the body. Second-winter birds typically have a pale eye, pale bill with black tip, pale head and begin to show gray feathers on the back. Third-winter birds are closer to adults but still have some black on the bill and brown on the body and wings and have a black band on the tail. First Summer (Alternate I): Head, neck, and especially the throat whiter, but still streaked. Back showing a few light gray feathers. Wing feathers worn and paler. Bill black with pale base. Eyes dark brown.
Photo taken on 1 Sep 2010
Photograph location coordinates are 43.678673:-70.2955.