Molting immature Green-tailed Towhee on a willow branch – Nikon D500, f9, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Green-tailed Towhees that hatched this year undergo a molt on or near their natal breeding grounds prior to fall migration.
I photographed this immature Green-tailed Towhee in the Wasatch Mountains on August 27th. This molt is called “first Prebasic” or “Prebasic I” and because the immature towhee is in the middle of the molt it looks a bit raggedy or disheveled. During this time they molt most or all of their body feathers.
Immature Green-tailed Towhee in molt – Nikon D500, f9, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
When I first saw this immature towhee it was feeding on a serviceberry in the distance I hoped that it would come in closer to my “mobile blind”, aka my Jeep. When it landed on a nearby willow branch it was almost too close for me to focus on.
I was able to take a nice, long series of photos of the molting Green-tailed Towhee before it flew across the road and out of my sight.
When this young towhee takes wing on its first fall migration in just a matter of weeks it will have the rufous crown, white stripes on its chin and throat and the white supraloral spots between its bill and crown that the adults of this species exhibit.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Green-tailed Towhee photos plus facts and information about this species.
Scruffy little thing — wishing an easy (relatively speaking) and uneventful migration to this youngster.
It seems to gain its adult plumage remarkably quickly after the moult.
Another lovely series – thank you.
Nice capture of molting stage. I saw a lot of them yesterday. I also saw a flock of a small bird I did not know what it was. I am going over my photos this morning.
Great shots!