Red Heads Info?

Guys,

I need help here. Me and my Dad each shot a pair of Red Heads this morning after the fog lifted. The male with the white belly is actually smaller and lighter than the male with the golden/reddish belly. What does one look like in full plumage? Do they varry in color? Is the male with the golden/reddish belly common?

BB

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe in this case, the difference in the color on thier bellies is from the water they have been hanging around in. Sometimes the water will stain the feathers and make them look different than normal, usually a redder color from minerals in the water. Congrats on the kills.

The white feathers on the belly are stained. Happens to pintails all the time. The pintail I just had mounted for my son had a stained belly. The taxidermist said it has to do with the minerals etc in the water where they are wintering.

it really looked like the feathers were naturally colored goldish/reddish brown, not stained. i have heard that the chemicals in water do that. i actually shot a bufflehead that i got mounted a few years ago and the taxidermist said it was not natural. He bleached it out. Either way, it is an odd looking color???
BB

The stain on the breast is from tannic acid in the water. It's caused by decaying plant matter.
It can actually be removed with a rust stain remover suck as whink. It depends on the habitat where the duck lives.