Mallard (male) Anas platyrhynchos Stony Swamp Conservation Area (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa, Ontario 31 August 2008 Similar to the wood duck pictured earlier, this drake mallard is in eclipse plumage. It is not difficult to confuse an eclipse male with a female mallard, but an easy short cut is to look at the beak colour: males have a bright yellow beak, while females maintain an orangish beak with brown splotching.
Wood Duck (male) Aix sponsa Rideau River, Ottawa, Ontario 30 August 2008 "Eclipse" males are usually only seen before fall migration, when the ducks have their annual moult. During this time, the ducks are unable to fly, and therefore unable to escape from predators. Taking after the females, male wood ducks moult into drabber, less flashy plumage, allowing themselves to blend into their surroundings like females.
