SPECULUM OF A MALLARD, LOWER REESOR POND, ROUGE PARK, TORONTO, ON

   This photo of a female mallard with its wings spread, shows a good view of the speculum.  The speculum is a brightly colored patch of plumage, often irredescent, on the secondary flying feathers of many ducks.  The mallard, both male and female, have irredescent purple-blue speculums with white edges, as can be seen in this photo.  Sometimes part of the speculum, depending on the birds position, can be seen when the bird is at rest.  The speculum can be used to help I.D. ducks.