Die Mauser von Anthus campestris und Anthus richardi

Abstract

Some (many?) adult specimens of Anthus campestris and Anthus richardi leave the breeding area before replacing all worn primaries, secondaries and rectrices by new ones. In such a case, they migrate to their winter quarters with a mixture of new and old feathers, all fully grown, and it is only there that the "postnuptial" moult is continued and concluded. In Anthus richardi a strong tendency has been found to deviate from the regular descending sequence which is followed by almost all other palearctic Passeriformes while moulting the ten primaries. © 1968 Verlag der Deutschen Ornithologen-Gesellschaft.