This is a good synopsis. For those doing atlasing and other work, the
more buffy wingbars, not white as in adult females, is a good way to note
the presence of young goldfinches in July and August.
RK

On Mon, 11 Jan 1999, Chris Thompson wrote:

> There is a great deal of literature regarding how to seperate "first-year"
> (birds prior to their second or definitive prebasic molt) from older birds,
> although the criteria are mainly for use with birds in the hand. This is
> summarized in the Birds of North America species account for this
> species. However, to the best of my recollection (I don't have the
> literature or BNA account here, although I wrote the plumage section for
> this account) first-year goldfinches do not replace their primaries,
> secondaries or rectrices, i.e. they retain their juvenal flight feathers.
> During the second or definitive prebasic molt, older goldfinches replace
> their flight feathers with new flight feathers that are blacker than are
> juvenal flight feathers. Thus, through binoculars, you should be able to
> distinguish at least some first-year goldfinches from older ones in this
> way.
>
>
> Chris Thompson
> Research Scientist, WA. Dept. Fish and Wildlife
>

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