Aging Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) by Wings

1
Aging Bobwhite Quail(Colinus virginianus) by
Wings
Information Source South Carolina Agricultural
Education www.scaged.org
2
Determining Age
LOOK FOR 1) Color of the primary covert
feathers 2) Molting and replacement of primary
feathers of their wings.
Buffy-tipped primary juvenile quail Absence of
buffy-tipped primary coverts adult bird
3
Wing Parts
Alula feathers
Primary coverts
Primary feathers
4
Juvenile
Buffy-tipped primary coverts (juvenile)
Buffy-colored tips of the primary coverts.
5
Adult
No buffy-tipped primary coverts (adult)
Absence of buffy-tipped primary coverts.
6
Primary Feathers
Primaries are also called flight feathers. They
are numbered from 10 to 1 starting from the
outside and counting in.
Alula feathers
Primary coverts
10
Primary feathers
9
8
7
1
2
6
5
4
3
7
Feather Molt
Primaries are molted and replaced starting with
1. Primaries 9 10 are not molted until the
bird is an adult.
Alula feathers
Primary coverts
10
Primary feathers
9
8
7
1
2
6
5
4
3
8
Adult in Molt
The absence of buffy-tipped coverts reveal that
this bird is an adult even though the 8 primary
is being replaced
No buffy-tipped primary coverts (adult)
8 primary being replaced