Riparia SP, Tainan, Taiwan, August: Age? (1 Viewer)

I thought I'd ask as it doesn't hurt to do so...

I'm interested in how contributors see the 'old' greater coverts (about ready to drop) I've highlighted in the attached Riparia martin. To me, they look like juvenile feathers on account of the broad pale fringes.

It's the same bird, BTW, just under different light conditions. By all means have a go at the ID!

Steve

The bird in the image is one of either Pale (fohkienensis) or Collared (ijimae) Sand Martins. Small numbers show up here annually late summer and for years now I've been trying to figure out which (though I've always suspected them to be the former).

If the bird in the image can be aged as hatch-year, then the latter can be ruled out as no hatch-year Collared Sand Martin could appear so bleached (having been out of the nest for a long time), be so far on with its post-juvenile moult, and completed its (2000 km+) migration so early in the year! This would be no problem for a southerly-distributed bird that nests early.

I photographed two other Riparia SP. the same day, both uncontroversial juveniles. The second of these (not photographed terribly well) appeared only very recently fledged and surely originated locally.

Steve