Eurasian Skylark adult

This bird shows what a toll a year takes on its plumage and why birds have to moult on a regular basis. The heavy wear can be seen on all the feathers here with the tips chipped and abraded. This is caused by vegetation and bleaching by the sun in conjunction with wear and tear. This bird will replace all its feathers after the breeding season (and may have already started as it looks like there are a couple of inner primaries missing). This puts quite a strain on the birds resources and many species will become quite secretive and less obvious when they are moulting.

Done