Mallard (Green-headed Duck)

This feather comes from the Mallard, a medium-sized dabbling duck. Males feature a glossy green head and yellow bill, while females are mottled brown. This specific feather forms the brilliant blue wing patch seen in both sexes during flight.

Highly distinctive iridescent blue-violet patch (structural color) bordered by a thick terminal black band and a crisp white tip. The inner vane is a neutral matte grayish-brown.

Densely pennaceous and interlocked for most of the vane to ensure aerodynamic efficiency, transitioning to plumulaceous (downy) at the base near the calamus.

The iridescent area is smooth and glossy with a metallic sheen. The overall feather is stiff and slightly oily, providing the water-repellency essential for waterfowl.

The combination of iridescent cobalt-blue, a black subterminal band, and a white terminal tip is diagnostic for Anas secondaries.

Found in almost any wetland habitat including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, estuaries, and urban parks.

Widespread across the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe, Asia), and widely introduced to the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa). Primarily migratory in northern reaches.

Generalist foragers that provide a food source for numerous predators; they also act as dispersers for aquatic plant seeds and invertebrates.

American Black Duck (similar blue but lacks/has thinner white borders), Northern Shoveler (speculum is green), and Teal species (much smaller).

Mallards are the ancestors of almost all domestic duck breeds. Their speculum feathers are thought to serve as a visual signal to help flock members stay together during flight.

The feather appears to be in Good to Excellent condition. The distal white edge is intact and the iridescence is vivid, suggesting it was recently molted.