Speculum feathers

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A male mallard. The speculum feathers are bright blue with white edges Flickr - law keven - Happy Feathery Friday......jpg
A male mallard. The speculum feathers are bright blue with white edges

The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the secondary wing feathers, or remiges, of some birds.

Examples of the colour(s) of the speculum in a number of ducks are:

Bright wing speculums are also known from a number of other birds; among them are several parrots from the genus Amazona with red or orange speculums, [5] though in this case the colors are pigmentary and non-iridescent.

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The American teal or green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Eurasian teal for some time, but has since been split into its own species. The American Ornithological Society continues to debate this determination; however, nearly all other authorities consider it distinct based on behavioral, morphological, and molecular evidence. The scientific name is from Latin Anas, "duck" and carolinensis, "of Carolina".

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The cotton pygmy goose or cotton teal is a small perching duck which breeds in Asia, Southeast Asia extending south and east to Queensland where they are sometimes called white-quilled pygmy goose. They are among the smallest waterfowl in the world and are found in small to large waterbodies with good aquatic vegetation. They are usually seen in pairs or larger groups of pairs, roosting and nesting on trees near water. They are strong fliers and are known to disperse widely, especially in winter. Their breeding season coincides with the rains.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue cotinga</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-throated hillstar</span> Species of bird

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dunn, Jon L. & Alderfer, Jonathan (2006). National Geographic Guide to the Birds of North America. National Geographic Society. ISBN   1-4262-0072-2.
  2. 1 2 Bellrose, Frank C. & The Audubon Society (1983). The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding. National Geographic Society. ISBN   1-4262-0072-2.
  3. 1 2 Madge, Steve; Burn, Hilary (1988). Waterfowl: an Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World . Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   0-395-46727-6.
  4. Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A.; Pearson, David J. (1999). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Princeton University Press. ISBN   0-691-01022-6.
  5. Robert S. Ridgely & John A. Gwynne, Jr. (1989). Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Princeton University Press. ISBN   0-691-08529-3.