Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage

Canvasback

Age and sex determination is probably easier for canvasbacks than for any other species. All upper wing coverts and tertials on adult males are so heavily flecked and/or vermiculated as to cause the entire wing to appear white. Wings of other canvasbacks vary from gray-brown to heavily frosted gray. During the hunting season, a high fraction of immatures replace both immature tertials and tertial coverts with adult-type feathers which differ markedly from the remaining immature coverts. These form several combinations with other coverts: 1) immature male or immature female tertial coverts always indicate immatures, 2) adult male or adult female tertial coverts but all remaining coverts immature male or female also indicate immatures, 3) entire upper wing covered by adult male or adult female-type feathers indicate adults.

Wing Character	Male		Female
	Adult	Immature	Immature	Adult
Tertials	Tips usually rounded; overall appearance is white due to heavy vermiculation over entire length of feathers	Tips usually frayed to a point; overall appearance gray		Tips usually rounded; overall appearance gray, flecked with white near tips
		Lightly vermiculated to heavily flecked with white	Plain to faintly flecked with white near tips
		After molt: Similar to adult male and much whiter than other wing feathers	After molt: Similar to adult female
Greater tertial coverts	Broadly rounded, not frayed and so heavily vermiculated as to appear white	Narrower, and often frayed to a point		Broadly rounded, not frayed and heavily flecked with white near tips of individual coverts
		Vary from heavy to light evenly distributed flecking	Vary from barely discernable flecking to unflecked
		After molt: Similar to adult male and much whiter than other wing feathers	After molt: Similar to adult female
Middle and lesser secondary coverts	Overall appearance white; heavily vermiculated; broadly rounded shape	Tend to narrow toward tip giving them a slightly trapezoidal shape		Overall appearnace heavily frosted gray, well flecked with flecking generally concentrated near ends of individual coverts; broadly rounded shape
		Heavily flecked to lightly vermiculated; overall appearance heavily frosted gray	Plain to lightly flecked; overall appearance gray to brownish gray

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