Speculum feathers

The speculum feathers are the inner (secondary) flight feathers of a duck. They are often brightly coloured, especially in dabbling ducks, and can help to identify a duck in flight.

Examples are:

• Common Teal: green
• Green-winged Teal: green
• Blue-winged Teal: blue
• Mallard: purple-blue edged white
• American Black Duck: purple-blue ( not edged white)
• Northern Pintail: greenish black, edged white at back and orange in front
• Gadwall: small and white, but only obvious in male
• Yellow-billed Duck: green or blue, bordered white