plumaged

Plumaged is an adjective used in ornithology and birdwatching to describe a bird or other feathered animal as being characterized by its plumage—the feathers that cover the body. The term typically appears in descriptions of color, pattern, or condition of the plumage, rather than the underlying anatomy. For example, a field guide might refer to a bird as having breeding plumage or as being in an immature plumaged state. The form is primarily used for birds but can be applied to other animals with conspicuous plumage as well.

Etymology: The word plumaged is derived from plumage, which comes from Old French plumage and ultimately from Latin pluma meaning feather. The suffix -ed marks the past participle, used here to describe a state or condition.

Usage: In practice, plumaged often appears before or after color descriptors: a bird described as “plumaged in olive and gray” or as “the plumaged male.” It is commonly used to distinguish adult plumage from juvenile plumage, or breeding plumage from non-breeding variants. The term emphasizes external appearance rather than internal anatomy.

Related terms: Breeding plumage, alternate plumage, definitive plumage, juvenile plumage, and eclipse plumage describe various stages or forms of plumage during a bird’s life cycle. Molting is the process that produces plumage changes. The adjective plumed is related but generally refers to creatures with distinctive elongated feathers or ornamental plumes rather than to overall plumage.