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RPT-2024-00603Verified

Primary feather wear as an indicator of moult timing

Demo dataAll records, samples, and reports shown here are sample content for demonstration only — not real identification results or official certification.
Report number
RPT-2024-00603
Sample number
SPM-8410
Research date
18 Jul 2024
Species
Tyto alba
Common name
Barn owl
Classification
Nocturnal raptor
Material type
Primary feather
Research category
Comparative morphology
Catalogue index
603 / 12480

Sample images

Barn owl primary feather mounted on an archival specimen sheet
Barn owl primary feather mounted on an archival specimen sheet

Research methods

  1. 01Barb and barbule measurement under reflected-light microscopy.
  2. 02Comparison against dated moult series held in the reference collection.

Research findings

Vane wear and pigment banding place the feather in the late-summer moult window. Barbule density falls within the expected range for adult birds of the regional population.

Conclusion

Sample SPM-8410 is consistent with an adult Tyto alba primary feather shed during the late-summer moult window.

Verify this report numberSpecimen collection