What do the male Mallard Duck’s tail feathers look like? They are curl feathers.
The Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) has a short tail, like most ducks.
The male Mallard has a very distinctive tail. It has curl feathers. The female does not have curl feathers.

Its tail has white-bordered dark tail feathers. It usually has 2-4 black curl feathers.
Not all ducks have a short tail. Some ducks have a long tail, such as the Scoter and the Eider.
Some ducks have a tail that sticks up like a paint brush, such as the Ruddy Duck and the Masked Duck.





[Location of photographs: Tashkent, Uzbekistan]
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM