Immature Description

Juvenal Plumage: Body and head uniformly colored light brownish gray or buff. Whitish on chin and around base of bill. Dusky around eyes. Pale brown streaks on head. Back pale buff, with pale brown wavy bars. Rump barred brownish. Tail plain pale buff with highly variable pattern of whitish and darker brown bars. Bill pink with black tip. Legs pale flesh-colored. Eyes dark brown. Wingtips white.
First Winter (Basic I) Plumage: Similar to Juvenal Plumage, except head and underparts slightly paler, and back whiter.
First Summer (Alternate I) Plumage: Head and body increasingly paler. Back whitish, with irregular brown barring.
Second Winter (Basic II) Plumage: Back whitish, with only sparse barring. Wings whitish, without barring. Tail pale, with only faint markings. Eyes pale.
Second Summer (Alternate II) Plumage: Similar to First Winter Plumage, but some gray feathers on back.
Third Winter (Basic III) Plumage: Similar to adult, with white underparts and gray back. Wings with some faint brown freckling. Tail white, with some faint brownish marks. Upper and under tail sometimes faintly barred.