Posted by Les Chibana (216.218.194.70) on March 07, 2000 at 19:05:14:
In Reply to: Molt limits, counting primaries and more posted by Don Roberson on March 05, 2000 at 23:39:25:
I have a comment about the usage of HY in these comments. It doesn't change the assessment of plumage, but there MAY be a misuse of the HY designation.
If you're proposing that this bird may be helping out at the nest in the spring following its birth, then this bird is a second year (SY), because the HY designation changes to SY at the end of the calendar year. The plumage assessments are similar, perhaps with more wear, unless you're discussing a species that has some pre-alternate molt. This is why Pyle's uses "HY/SY".
It's pretty neat that the molt limits seem to be so obvious in the photo. While we don't have bluebirds where I band, the inland species that I see usually don't show molt limits this clearly.
Sorry, I don't have anything to add to advance the ID of these birds.
Les Chibana