A partial post-juvenile molt and transitional plumage in the Shikra (Accipiter badius) and Grey Frog Hawk (Accipiter soloensis)

Molt has been poorly studied in the Accipitridae. Examination of museum spe cimens showed that there are three age-related plumages in the Shikra (Acci piter badius) and Grey Frog Hawk (A. soloensis) similar to the pattern know n in the Levant Sparrowhawk (A. brevipes). The juvenile plumage with its di stinctively-spotted underside is replaced by a transitional post-juvenile p lumage during a partial contour molt between 4-10 mo of age. More feathers on the ventral side than on the dorsal side are replaced during this first contour molt, which is arrested at various stages of incomplete feather rep lacement. Usually, a significant part of the ventral pattern changes from s potted to barred, whereby the barring is on average more prominent than in adults. The early plumage replaces the transitional post-juvenile plumage d uring a complete molt at about one year of age. In the subspecies A. b. pol iopsis of the Shikra, which has almost no sexual dimorphism in the adult pl umage, the transitional plumage is uncommon and very poorly developed.