20200328 Can you age Coal Tits?

20200328 Can you age Coal Tits?

The other day I caught an unringed Coal Tit on Head Down. I only catch two or three a year at most so it is always a bit of an event. I spread the page in Demongin before I opened the bag, determined to work through it and make a decision this time rather than ageing it 2 or 4 as every other time. Once again I remained uncertain. These are the pictures, taken single-handed.

Note near- pristine tail and primary tips.
Colour changes here are a light artefact I think. I did not see two generations of feather.
No obvious difference in colour density between alula, primary coverts and greater coverts.
No clear moult limit, buffy feathers in median and lesser coverts.

I didn’t think so at the time, but in retrospect is this enough to 6 it?

7th April 2020 On the other hand, this unringed Coal Tit I caught on 3rd April had equally unworn tail and primary tips but undeniably three ogcs, see below. Maybe the answer, as so often, is that you can confidently age some of them.

Copyright Isle of Wight Ringing Group 2019