Subject: Duck ID pls? [Print This Page] Author: hsteen Time: 24/11/2007 18:06 Subject: Duck ID pls?
Nam Sang Wai
22-11-2007
Swarovski ATS 80HD + Fuji Finepix S5 Pro
I have tried to compare this duck with other photos but are confused about the white breast:
Do you know the name of this duck?
Author: kmatthew Time: 24/11/2007 18:22
looking at the bill shape, it is a Northern Shoveler. It is a first winter bird?? Author: hsteen Time: 24/11/2007 18:53 Subject: Duck ID?
Thanks
That's what I thought - most of these ducks around there.
But the white breast (maybe overexposed) confused me. Author: hkwongkit Time: 24/11/2007 20:15
Indeed the white is blown! Author: wgeoff Time: 24/11/2007 21:07
I think this is a male Shoveler coming out of 'eclipse' plumage, which is the female-like plumage male ducks take when moulting their feathers at the end of summer. Apparently Shovelers can retain this plumage into winter - see the attached note on eclipse plumage from the US Wildlife Service
"Nearly all drakes lose their bright plumage after mating, and for a few weeks resemble females. This hen-like appearance is called the eclipse plumage. The return to breeding coloration varies in species and individuals of each species. Blue-winged teal and shovelers may retain the eclipse plumage until well into the winter"
This is why it appears half-way between a male and a female.
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