Indigo Bunting wing molt

Scientists at the banding station collect population data, including age and sex. Due to color contrast, Indigo Bunting wings are a great example of the feather wear and replacement that scientists look at to age a bird. This male Indigo Bunting has 3 different feather ages, which tells us it was born last year. The brown, worn feathers are feathers the bird grew in the nest last year. The darker worn feathers on the outside of the wing, were feathers the bird grew last fall. And the dark feathers with blue edging, are feathers the bird is growing in right now.