Most females show cream edging on the lesser and middle coverts. This often covers all these feathers, particularly on adult females. Immature males may show a few cream colored edges on feathers near the alula.
The tertials of immature males are brownish and much frayed, while those of adults and first winter immatures are greenish black and much longer. The tertial coverts of the immature male are brownish black and often show a frayed fringe. Adult tertial coverts are blackish, often washed with blue. Both immature tertials and immature tertial coverts are usually present during October.
Immature males generally have small dusky spots on their greater coverts, while adults do not.
The immature tertials of females are similar to those of immature males. The tertials of adult females are wider, not frayed, and more heavily washed with white at the tips.
| Wing Character | Male | Female | ||
| Adult | Immature | Immature | Adult | |
| Tertials | Acutely pointed; dark, shiny; greenish black; many with white on inner webs | Medium to bluntly pointed, dark brown tips; often frayed or faded; often narrowly edged with white | Bluntly pointed; wide; white edging on outer webs; not frayed or faded | |
| After molt: Similar to adult male | After molt: Similar to adult female | |||
| Greater tertial coverts | Smoothly rounded; dark brown to shiny black; unfrayed | Brown; often much frayed; with trace of light edging | Brown; white edging forms smoothly rounded arc | |
| After molt: Similar to adult male | After molt: Similar to adult female | |||
| Secondaries | Iridescent green present on all but most distal 1 or 2 | Generally more than half have some iridescent green | Generally less than half have some iridescent green; sometimes all are entirely dull brownish | The number with iridescent green varies from one or two of more proximal to nearly all |
| Greater secondary coverts | White; dark bases normally covered by middle coverts | White; often with small dark spots at tip; about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of dark base normally shows | White; about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of dark base normally shows | |
| Middle and lesser coverts | Bright pale blue; without edging but quite pointed | Pale blue but brownish bases usually show; coverts near alula may have pale edging; generally quite pointed | Brownish blue to gray-brown; usually most have pale edges but sometimes entirely plain; generally quite pointed | Bluish to brownish blue; usually most have pale edges and often pale centers; rounded to bluntly pointed |