How does the head appearance of the adult Xeme change in winter plumage?
Answer
The striking dark hood is lost, resulting in a white head
As adult Xeme transition from their breeding territories to pelagic wintering areas, their head plumage softens considerably. The defining feature of summer—the charcoal gray hood—is lost entirely, resulting in a white head for the non-breeding bird. While the head becomes predominantly white, descriptions note that non-breeding adults might retain some dark smudging or pale white speckles around the face or ear coverts, lacking the clean, sharply defined hood of the summer bird.
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