Abstract
Plumage is regularly replaced over the lifetime of birds, and, consequently, variable conditions experienced during plumage development can affect feather growth rate or the expression of feather characteristics. We assessed intra-individual constancy in the length, mass, and growth rate of tail feathers between complete moults of 13 free-liv- ing individual Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla. Between-moult repeatability was high for the length and mass, but not for growth rate of individual tail feathers. The feathers produced in the later moult grew at a slower rate, which shows that the time to produce similar feathers increases with age.
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