Galapagos Species Database

The characteristics depending of age and sex of the bird. Although there are slight variations between different subspecies of A. cyanoptera, they tend to share common traits nonetheless. The color of the adult male's head, chest, and underside is generally purple-chestnut, and the abdomen is dark brown. The lower back and rear of the bird are greenish-brown, while the wing coverts are blue. There are variations in shoulder feather color between birds, ranging from yellow with a center stripe, to green with a center stripe. The juvenile is similar in appearance to the adult female, having a green speculum with a white leading edge, and pale blue upper secondary coverts. The adult male's basic markings are similar to these, but he has red eyes and a brighter forewing. From the fall to the spring, the adult male has an alternate plumage. The head, neck, belly, and flanks are bright red, while the back is dark brown. Additionally, the male has black under tail coverts in the fall through spring time span. (Gammonley, 1996)” (Cadwell, M. 2002. "Anas cyanoptera" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 11, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Anas_cyanoptera/).