Visit your local pond, lake or wetland in summer and you might notice something odd – all the male Mallards seem to have disappeared! In fact, they will still be paddling around, but in disguise. Males lose their showy green breeding plumage and grow new brownish feathers (called their eclipse plumage) once the breeding season is over, making them resemble females. Look closely though and you can tell the difference – males still have their greenish-yellow beak, while females have a brownish-orange beak.
So why do these usually dapper ducks bother with this drab disguise? It’s all down to the way they moult. Unlike most birds, ducks moult all of their wing feathers in one go, which means that they are temporarily unable to fly until the feathers grow back. This quite literally makes them sitting ducks for predators, and so it pays to swap their eye-catchingly iridescent plumage for something a little more low-key that will help them blend in.
See more on our activities and photos or if you’re interested in joining below:
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Website: https://group.rspb.org.uk/dorkinganddistrict/
Male Mallard: Image courtesy RSPB images
