Plumages, Molts, and Structure

The following description is based on Curson et al. (1994), and refers to nominate fraseri; see also Geographic Variation:

Adult: Sexes similar. Sides of crown black, with a central, semiconcealed yellow crown stripe. Lores blackish. Supraloral streak white. Rest of upperparts blue gray, except for the center of the back, which is dull olive. Wings and tail blackish gray, feathers edged with blue gray, these edgings broadest on the greater coverts and tertials. Chin white; remaining underparts yellow, becoming slightly paler on the undertail coverts.

Juvenile: This description is based on a single specimen (of subspecies ochraceicrista), which may have begun a preformative molt). Head gray brown; many crown feathers black tipped, and some central crown feathers orange with olive tips. Upperparts gray brown, with a very obscure olive mantle. Yellow of underparts paler than in the adult, and washed with olive.

Little information. There is a complete prebasic molt, following breeding (Curson et al. 1994); there is no information on the extent of the preformative molt (Curson et al. 1994).

Iris: brown

Bill: black

Tarsi and toes: yellow brown

Total length: 14 cm (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001b)

Linear measurements (from Curson et al. 1994):

male (n = 1)

wing length: 66 mm

tail length: 57 mm

bill length (exposed culmen): 12 mm

tarsus length: 21 mm

female (n = 3)

wing length: range 62-65 mm

tail length: range 50-54 mm

bill length (exposed culmen): 11 mm

tarsus length: range 21-22 mm

Mass: male, mean 12 g (n = 12; Wiedenfeld et al. 1985); female, mean 11 g (n = 6; Wiedenfeld et al. 1985)