 In general , juveniles have feathers which are narrower and more sharply pointed at the tip . This can be particularly visible when the bird is in flight , especially in the case of raptors . The trailing edge of the wing of a juvenile bird can appear almost serrated , due to the feathers ' sharp tips , while that of an older bird will be straighter @-@ edged . The flight feathers of a juvenile bird will also be uniform in length , since they all grew at the same time . Those of adults will be of various lengths and levels of wear , since each is moulted at a different time . 
