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THE MOULT OF THE WHITE‐BACKED AND RÜPPELL'S GRIFFON VULTURES GYPS AFRICANUS AND G. RUEPPELLII
Author(s) -
Houston D. C.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1975.tb04240.x
Subject(s) - feather , plumage , moulting , flight feather , vulture , biology , zoology , nest (protein structural motif) , ecology , biochemistry , larva
Summary Moult is continuous throughout the life of the White‐backed Vulture and Rüppell's Griffon Vulture. Primary feather moult starts about 10 months after the bird leaves the nest, and the first feather to be shed is the innermost primary. From this position primary moult proceeds in an orderly sequence outwards towards the tip of the wing. Secondary feather replacement does not occur by the progression of moult waves, but by the irregular growth of feathers. It probably takes about 3 years of moult activity to complete the first feather replacement. Subsequent feather replacements occur by a slow but continuous process of feather replacement. Birds in adult plumage do show variations in the speed of moult, but this could not be related to breeding or body condition.