Definitely molting. Most of our waterfowl have a summer molt and a
fall/winter/spring molt.
It makes sense to compare body (contour) feathers to shingles on a wall or
roof. They overlap extensively, and a relatively small part of each is exposed.
Compare a bird molting some of these to a wall or roof with some shingles
missing (unfortunately the shingles won't grow back). This results in exposure
of normally covered parts of the feathers/shingles under the missing ones. The
pale-looking feathers on the Wood Duck flanks look that way because normally
hidden sections of them are exposed. Feathers tend to wear and sometimes bleach
with age, and often get ragged tips or margins. Ingrowing fresh feathers have
much cleaner margins and tips, and often brighter pigmentation. In the Wood
Duck photo, one feather high on the right side is brighter blue and appears
larger than the surrounding ones. This is a newly-grown feather, with
unbleached color and unworn edges. It looks bigger because the feathers that
normally cover most of it have molted and have not yet grown back.
If you learn to recognize these features of plumage, recognition that a bird is
molting can become almost automatic.
Wayne
From: "baro@xxxxxxx" <baro@xxxxxxx>
To: "jonathan" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2020 7:57:14 AM
Subject: [obol] Re: Wood Duck question
Molting?
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https://ebird.org/checklist/S70017091#_ga=2.154951728.964915143.1593154882-824734375.1590261844
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https://ebird.org/checklist/S70017091#_ga=2.154951728.964915143.1593154882-824734375.1590261844
]
amazingly few photos in the Macaulay Library of Wood Duck molting. Especially
given that they hang out at parks with lots of people.
Bob OBrien Carver OR
On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 10:09 PM < [ mailto:jonathan@xxxxxxxxxx ;|
jonathan@xxxxxxxxxx ] > wrote:
Anyone have a diagnosis of what is up with this Wood Duck? (stretching his
wing).
Not sure if he is leucistic, molting, a hybrid, or a juvenile… maybe some
combination of those?
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http://phlumf.com/index.php/nggallery/the-willamette-valley/Hillboro?page_id=414#foobox-1/13/Wood-Duck-001.jpg
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http://phlumf.com/index.php/nggallery/the-willamette-valley/Hillboro?page_id=414#foobox-1/13/Wood-Duck-001.jpg
]
Jonathan
