The outermost two primaries, P10 and P9, are very worn, but the next few
are fresh. Comparing their shapes with those at
https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/kingbirdsX.htm makes it clear that the
Colorado Couch's must be a female. I suspect it is a juvenile female, based
on molt pattern, primary shapes, and the bare patches in the underwing
visible in Paul Malinowski's photo, but I am not great at ageing birds by
molt, so I'd love to hear other opinions. Juveniles are not supposed to
have the orange crown patch which many people (not me) reported seeing.
Nathan Pieplow
Boulder
On Sat, Oct 10, 2026 at 8:45 AM David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> wrote:
> Jared, This BIRD BOMBS episode I'm Molting!
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ-F3pYfJJA&t=3s> offers a good primer
> on feather molt in our birds.
>
> David
>
> On Sat, Oct 10, 2026 at 7:30 AM Paul Malinowski <pillarpaul...>
> wrote:
>
>> Jared, I noticed that too this afternoon. Look at the bare spots in this
>> photo as well as the worn feathers.
>>
>> [image: COKI-261009-1.jpg]
>>
>> Paul Malinowski
>> Littleton, CO
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 9, 2026 at 6:49 PM Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso...>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I enjoy reading *Birds of the World*, but I don't understand plumages,
>>> molts, and the terminology used to describe them. So it's hard for me to
>>> understand what the Couch's Kingbird currently at Marjorie Perry Nature
>>> Preserve in Arapahoe County *should* look like. But the bird, who I
>>> visited for the first time this afternoon, looks to be really worn to me.
>>> Could someone out there who both has access to *Birds of the World* and
>>> understands the terms of molting, offer some perspective on this?
>>>
>>> Here's a couple photos from this afternoon that show what I mean.
>>>
>>> [image: Screenshot 2026-10-09 at 6.46.43 PM.png]
>>>
>>> [image: Screenshot 2026-10-09 at 6.47.28 PM.png]
>>>
>>> - Jared Del Rosso
>>> Centennial, CO
>>>
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