Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage

Oldsquaw

The underwing of all oldsquaws is a uniform patterned dark brown to black. On adult males, the innermost tertials are solid black, and the outer tertials and adjacent secondaries show traces of rust. The remainder of the wing is an unpatterned black. On adult females, the tertials and adjacent secondaries are a dark rufus brown that has a tan edging. Tertial coverts, middle coverts, and most lesser coverts are dark brown to black heavily washed with tan. The upper wing of both sexes of immatures is uniformly dark brown, often with a faint trace of rust on the secondaries and tertials. Immatures can be recognized by the frayed and faded tips of their tertials and tertial coverts.

Wing Character	Male		Female
Wing Character	Adult	Immature	Immature	Adult
Tertials	Acutely pointed, black, most show trace of rust	Dark gray-brown; usually show trace of rust		Dark brown with trace of rust; usually tan edging
Greater tertial coverts	Entirely black	Dark brown, usually frayed and faded at tips		Dark brown; tips washed with tan
Greater secondary coverts	Entirely black	Dark brown; frayed and faded at tips		Dark brown; tips washed with tan
Middle and lesser coverts	Entirely black	Entirely dark brown		Dark brown; heavily washed with tan
Secondaries	Dark rusty brown	Brown with traces of rust		Brown to rusty brown

Previous Section -- Common merganser
Return to Contents
Next Section -- Black scoter