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An American black duck (upper left) and a male mallard (lower right) in eclipse plumage [25]: 506 Two months after hatching, the fledgling period has ended, and the duckling is now a juvenile. [34] The duckling is able to fly 50–60 days after hatching.
The female is light brown, with plumage much like a female mallard. It can be distinguished from that species by the dark orange-edged bill, smaller size, the white speculum, and white belly. [12] Both sexes go through two moults annually, following a juvenile moult. [10] The gadwall is a quieter duck, except during its courtship display.
The juvenile has a plumage similar to that of the female and can be distinguished from the Common Teal by the pale loral spot. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage , the drake looks more like the female, but plumage is a much richer reddish-brown ( rufous ) colour.
This is supported by the observation that in mallard × American black duck hybrids, females of both taxa prefer the sexually dimorphic mallard drakes over the dull-plumaged black duck drakes; [23] [24] that the green-winged teal is in some aspects—such as the less contrasting nuptial plumage—intermediate between the common and speckled ...
Mandarin duck (male) in eclipse plumage. Many male ducks have bright, colourful plumage, exhibiting strong sexual dimorphism. However, they moult into a dull plumage after breeding in mid-summer. This drab, female-like appearance is called eclipse plumage. When they shed feathers to go into an eclipse, the ducks become flightless for a short ...
A male mallard. The speculum feathers are bright blue with white edges. The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the secondary wing feathers, or remiges, of some birds. Examples of the colour(s) of the speculum in a number of ducks are: Common teal and green-winged teal: Iridescent green edged with buff. [1]
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The male does not have an eclipse plumage. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults. The legs and feet are bright orange. [14] The eastern spot-billed duck is darker and browner than the Indian spot-billed duck; its body plumage is more similar to the Pacific black duck. It lacks the red bill spot, and has a blue speculum. [14] [15]