When feather wear dulls the olive tone late in the season, what features become more important for identifying *P. trochilus*?

Increased reliance should be placed on the pale leg colour and the shape/length of the pale eyebrow stripe.

Identification confidence is directly impacted by the condition of the plumage. Towards the end of the breeding season, old feathers become faded, bleached, and worn, often causing the typical rich olive-green upperparts to turn a duller, brownish hue, which diminishes the key visual contrast with the Chiffchaff. When this occurs, observers must shift focus to physical characteristics that are less affected by normal feather abrasion. These more stable markers include the pale leg colour and the structure, specifically the length and prominence, of the pale supercilium, as these features tend to remain consistent regardless of feather wear.