Most ducks shed
their body feathers twice each year. 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. Wing
feathers are shed only once a year; wing colors are
always the same.
