<P> Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple - blue speculum feathers edged with white , which are prominent in flight or at rest but temporarily shed during the annual summer moult . Upon hatching , the plumage of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face ( with streaks by the eyes ) and black on the back ( with some yellow spots ) all the way to the top and back of the head . Its legs and bill are also black . As it nears a month in age , the duckling 's plumage starts becoming drab , looking more like the female , though more streaked , and its legs lose their dark grey colouring . Two months after hatching , the fledgling period has ended , and the duckling is now a juvenile . Between three and four months of age , the juvenile can finally begin flying , as its wings are fully developed for flight ( which can be confirmed by the sight of purple speculum feathers ) . Its bill soon loses its dark grey colouring , and its sex can finally be distinguished visually by three factors : 1 ) the bill is yellow in males , but black and orange in females ; 2 ) the breast feathers are reddish - brown in males , but brown in females ; and 3 ) in males , the centre tail feather ( drake feather ) is curled , but in females , the centre tail feather is straight . During the final period of maturity leading up to adulthood ( 6 -- 10 months of age ) , the plumage of female juveniles remains the same while the plumage of male juveniles gradually changes to its characteristic colours . This change in plumage also applies to adult mallard males when they transition in and out of their non-breeding eclipse plumage at the beginning and the end of the summer moulting period . The adulthood age for mallards is fourteen months , and the average life expectancy is three years , but they can live to twenty . </P>
<P> Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple - blue speculum feathers edged with white , which are prominent in flight or at rest but temporarily shed during the annual summer moult . Upon hatching , the plumage of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face ( with streaks by the eyes ) and black on the back ( with some yellow spots ) all the way to the top and back of the head . Its legs and bill are also black . As it nears a month in age , the duckling 's plumage starts becoming drab , looking more like the female , though more streaked , and its legs lose their dark grey colouring . Two months after hatching , the fledgling period has ended , and the duckling is now a juvenile . Between three and four months of age , the juvenile can finally begin flying , as its wings are fully developed for flight ( which can be confirmed by the sight of purple speculum feathers ) . Its bill soon loses its dark grey colouring , and its sex can finally be distinguished visually by three factors : 1 ) the bill is yellow in males , but black and orange in females ; 2 ) the breast feathers are reddish - brown in males , but brown in females ; and 3 ) in males , the centre tail feather ( drake feather ) is curled , but in females , the centre tail feather is straight . During the final period of maturity leading up to adulthood ( 6 -- 10 months of age ) , the plumage of female juveniles remains the same while the plumage of male juveniles gradually changes to its characteristic colours . This change in plumage also applies to adult mallard males when they transition in and out of their non-breeding eclipse plumage at the beginning and the end of the summer moulting period . The adulthood age for mallards is fourteen months , and the average life expectancy is three years , but they can live to twenty . </P>
what type of duck is a yellow duckling
what type of duck is a yellow duckling
mallards
mallards