Drakes grow a special curly feather, the drake feather. In breeds that are monomorphic, meaning that the ducks and drakes look alike, the drake feather can help you tell males and females apart. My ducks are dimorphic, which means you can usually tell them apart quite easily. However, the males will spend a few months a year with eclipse plumage. Eclipse plumage is generally less flashy than the feathers the drakes have during breeding season. For wild birds eclipse plumage plays a role in protecting the drakes while they are molting their flight feathers. Once they have their new flight feathers they are back to their usually dapper selves and ready to fly away from predators.
Although many domestic breeds no longer have the ability to fly, they still go through the molting process and will display eclipse plumage.
In the 1950's the Ducktail was a hairstyle popular with young men. The duck seems an odd symbol of masculinity. This makes me wonder who first came up with the idea for this hairstyle. Was it a young man who grew up on a farm? Or, was it a gentleman strolling by the town pond? I guess it's time for some research.
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