Examining wing feathers of 346 different species of birds from museums around the world, Field Museum of Natural History ...

An analysis of hundreds of preserved bird specimens from museums worldwide has revealed a specific set of feather characteristics and patterns crucial ... by examining wing feathers from 346 ...

All other plumages can be separated from the lesser goldfinch by their bolder wing pattern and white undertail coverts. The female Lawrence’s goldfinch is gray like a nonbreeding adult female ...

A very pale female lesser can show whitish undertail coverts, but it has a different wing pattern than all Americans and is always greener than the female Lawrence’s.

David says, 'Wings sometimes bear patterns that conjure up other creatures ... making them taste disgusting to novice birds. Bright, bold colours in the adults - often red or orange - then mark them ...