Plumage Changes

I thought maybe a few photos on how plumage changes in some birds as they grow from the juvenile stage to that of an adult. 

While most birds go through stages of changes until they reach the juvenile stage, some have distinct changes going from Juvenile to Adult. 

Bald eagles go through one of the most varied plumage changes of any North American bird. During its first four weeks of life, an eaglet's fluffy white down changes to a gray wooly down. At about five weeks, brown and black feathers begin to grow. It becomes fully feathered at 10 weeks of age. In its first year, the mostly dark-colored juvenile can often be mistaken as a golden eagle. Living in the Northwest I have seen this many times. -- i.e. not knowing for sure whether I was seeing a Golden Eagle or a Juvenile Bald Eagle. However, the bald eagle progressively changes until it reaches adult plumage at five years. 

Juvenile Bald Eagle -- which could be four years old. 

Adult Bald Eagle -- at least five years old.