The eclipse plumage is worn for a few weeks or months, depending on the species of duck, before another moult occurs when the male (drake) will once again regain its colourful breeding plumage and can begin to attract a mate before the breeding season starts. In flight birds show white bellies and males have a large white wing patch. Breeding males have a green eye patch and a conspicuous white crown, earning them the nickname "baldpate." The main features that distinguish the Eurasian Wigeon from the American Wigeon are the gray sides and the russet face-markings. [citation needed] All three wigeon species hybridise in captivity while American and Eurasian wigeons hybridise in the wild. Juveniles molt in the first year. Female Eurasian and American Wigeons appear very similar, but the female Eurasian lacks the black border at the base of the bill. The wigeon is a medium-sized duck with a round head and small bill. Juveniles and males in eclipse plumage (from July to September) look like the female. Quiet lakes and wetlands come alive with the breezy whistle of the American Wigeon, a dabbling duck with pizzazz. Noisy groups congregate during fall and winter, plucking plants with … Breeding (or Alternate) Plumage: The forehead and forecrown are either white or cream-colored. Wigeons breed in central …
An American wigeon × …
This wigeon undergoes two adult molts per year - in the spring it molts into breeding (alternate) plumage and in late autumn into the non-breeding (eclipse) plumage. Adult Male Description. The head and neck of the male are chestnut, with a yellow forehead, pink breast and grey body. Females are brushed in warm browns with a gray-brown head and a smudge around the eye. Mallards are the most familiar and most widespread dabbling duck in the world, and knowing how to properly identify these ducks is the key to understanding the identification of all ducks, including picking out the mallard clues in hybrid ducks.
Males have a distinctive breeding plumage, in their eclipse plumage they resemble females, which are similar in appearance year-round.
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