SHOVELER (continued) 
Middle and Lesser Coverts: 

(a) Dull grayish or blackish blue -------------------- Immature 
(b) Bright pale blue --------------------------------- 3 
Greater Tertial Coverts: 
(a) Brownish black to brownish, often with fringed 
fraying, may show brownish fading ---------------- Immature 
(b) Shiny black, often showing a bluish shading ------ 4 
Greater Coverts: 
(a) White feathers have small dusky spots at tips ---- Immature 
(b) No small dusky spots --------------------ce------- Adult 
Age Determination of Females 
Tertials: 
(a) Brown, whitish at tips, much frayed at tips 
and often faded ---------------------------------- Immature 
(b) Blackish brown, tips heavily washed with 
white, unfrayed at tips, unfaded ----------------- 2 
Greater Tertial Coverts: 
(a) Brown, unedged or edged finely with white, 
usually much frayed, rounded to a point ---------- Immature 
(b) Blackish brown, clearly edged with white, 
unfrayed, unfaded, broadly rounded -------------=-- 3 
Greater secondary Coverts: 
(a) White coverts show small dusky spots near 
their tipS --------- nner n sn ene rn erence nee Immature 
(b) White coverts do not show small spots near 
their tipS -<----en nen nn ee nnn nn ren renee nee nnen Adult 
19 
