Photos Showing Plumage Differences

This scruffy looking duck is a Northern Pintail Anas acuta male just molting from his juvenile plumage into his first breeding plumage. The white stripe up the neck is just starting to be visible.

This is a Northern Pintail male in more typical plumage.

Some days of birding are just not all that exciting if all I look for is rare or unusual birds. Sometimes though seeing and really looking at common birds in their various plumage aspects can add interest to the day. Over the last couple of days I've seen common waterfowl at close range and had a chance to really look at some cool and specific plumage variations. See what you think.

This is a first spring male Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus. Note the whitish breast, the beginning of some whitish feathers on the crest of the head and the forward flank.

This is an adult female Hooded Merganser. Note the lack of whitish breast.

This Hooded Merganser male is in his fully developed adult basic plumage.

Here you can compare the male and female Bufflehead. Bucephala albeola.

Good birding. Steem on! Be sure to follow @birdersofsteem where birders can find #birding content and where we can support each others good content with upvotes and encouragement in comments.