Wood Ducks in Door County Wisconsin.
Not what you expected in a Wood Duck male? The duck on the left is an eclipse male. An eclipse male wood duck is a male that sheds his bright breeding feathers in late summer for a dull, mottled brown coat. This temporary, female-like look gives him safety and camouflage while he molts his flight feathers and cannot fly. The male retains his bright bill and has red eyes making distinguishing between male and female fairly easy with a close up photo.
