Eclipse Plumage
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.