Plumage
The covering of feathers over a bird's body. It may vary with the age of the bird or the season of the year, and accordingly it may be described as breeding plumage, winter plumage, or juvenile, immature or adult plumage. In detailed descriptions of the external feathers (topography) of birds, standardised names are normally used for the various sections of the plumage, for example malar region and tail coverts.From Peter Weaver's Birdwatcher's Dictionary
Copyright © 1981 by Peter Weaver