Lincoln's Sparrow has a partial preformative molt and absent to limited prealternate molts. Most individuals can be aged by plumage characteristics, but some intermediates are difficult to age in spring. Sex can be determined only by brood patch / cloacal protuberance during the breeding season.
Juvenile plumage is very similar to that of Song and Swamp Sparrows; Lincoln's Sparrow tends to have a proportionately longer wing and shorter tail, and a grayish (as opposed to yellowish) upper mouth lining.
Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2016). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)
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FCJ - (HY: June - August) | ||||||
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Head relatively dark and underparts more coarsely streaked than on older individuals | ||||||
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FCF - (HY: July - December; SY January - March) | ||||||
Rectrices all narrow and pointed, or mixed with contrastingly fresh and broad central rectrices; primary coverts narrow with little or no edging; beige eye-ring | ||||||
U |
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FCU - (SY: March - August) | ||||||
Rectrices all narrow and pointed, or mixed with contrastingly fresh and broad central rectrices; primary coverts narrow with little or no edging | ||||||
U |
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DCB - (AHY: July - December; ASY January - March) | ||||||
Rectrices uniformly broad and rounded; wing largely uniform in colour and wear, with secondaries and primary coverts only slightly lighter than greater coverts; primary coverts relatively broad and rounded with fairly distinct brown edging; gray eye-ring | ||||||
U |
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DCU - (ASY: March - August) | ||||||
Rectrices uniformly broad and rounded; wing largely uniform in colour and wear, with secondaries and primary coverts only slightly lighter than greater coverts; primary coverts relatively broad and rounded with fairly distinct brown edging; gray eye-ring | ||||||
U |
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FPJ - (HY: June - August) | |
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Similar to FCJ; some natal down remaining and/or juvenile flight feathers still growing in | |
No images available yet | |
FPF - (HY: July - August) | |
Similar to FCF; median and greater coverts and in some cases also tertials and central rectrices being replaced | |
No images available yet | |
FPA - (SY: February - April) | |
Similar to FCF; some body feathers and occasionally one or two tertials being replaced | |
No images available yet | |
SPB - (SY: July - August) | |
Flight feathers being replaced, with retained juvenile primaries, secondaries, and/or primary coverts distinctly pale brown and very worn | |
No images available yet | |
DPB - (AHY: July - August) | |
Flight feathers being replaced, with retained primaries, secondaries, and/or primary coverts either distinctly adult (relatively dark, less worn) or intermediate | |
No images available yet | |
DPA - (ASY: February - April) | |
Similar to DCB; some body feathers and occasionally one or two tertials being replaced | |
No images available yet |
Molt classes | Age | Months | Key traits |
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M-FPF / UPU (FPF, SPB, DPB) | U | July - August | Undergoing preformative or prebasic molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-FCF / UCU (FCF, SCB, DCB) | U/AHY | July - March | In formative or basic plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-FPA / UPA (FPA, DPA) | AHY | February - April | Undergoing prealternate molt, but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |
M-FCA / UCA (FCA, DCA) | AHY | March - August | In alternate plumage (molt completed), but cycle is not reliably distinguishable |