This male Mallard is in the process of molting from its eclipse or nonbreeding plumage to its breeding plumage. The bill has already turned yellow and head and neck are in the midst of turning to breeding plumage. The breast area still has the mottled appearance of eclipse plumage. The white ring around the lower part of the neck is starting to appear.
The male Mallard has a complete molt from breeding plumage to eclipse plumage in mid-summer. Their eclipse plumage is very similar to the female's plumage, except the male's bill is light olive green, rather than orange marked with black. This molt includes flight feathers, so the bird cannot fly during this period.
The eclipse plumage only lasts a few weeks until it molts back to its brightly colored breeding plumage. This molt does not include the flight feathers, so the Mallard is able to fly.
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