Editing Common loon (section)

===Moult===

The scaly juvenile plumage is retained until January or February of the year following hatching, when a lengthy moult of head and body feathers gives them a more adult-like appearance. Adults shed all their flight feathers simultaneously around this time, leaving them temporarily flightless, prior to gaining breeding plumage, but second-year birds delay this substantial moult until the summer. The adult winter plumage is attained between October and January by partial moult mainly of head, body and tail feathers.<ref name= BB79>{{cite journal | last1=Appleby | first1=R.H. | last2=Madge | first2=S.C. | last3=Mullarney | first3=Killian | title=Identification of divers in immature and winter plumages | journal=British Birds | volume=79 | issue=8 | pages=365–391 | year=1986 | url=https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V79/V79_N08/V79_N08_P365_391_A089.pdf | access-date=8 October 2017 | archive-date=8 October 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008180556/https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V79/V79_N08/V79_N08_P365_391_A089.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>