Parts of a Duck – Bill, Speculum and Webbed Feet

All 11 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 7 main parts 7

Head A male mallard's head is a glossy bottle green. The female's is streaky brown.
Eye The eye, on the side of the head.
Bill The broad, flat beak. Its edges carry rows of fine comb-like plates that strain food from water and mud.
Breast The front of the body. On a male mallard it is purple-tinged brown.
Wing The wing, folded along the side. Duck wings are short, pointed and very strong, and need fast, steady beats to fly.
Tail The short tail at the back of the body.
Webbed feet Feet with skin stretched between the three front toes, used as paddles. They sit far back on the body.

The drake's markings: 4 4

White collar A narrow white ring on the male. It divides his green head and neck from his brown breast.
Speculum A patch of blue or purple feathers on the wing. It is edged in white on both sides. Both males and females have one.
Belly The underside of the body. A male mallard's is pale grey.
Curled tail feather The curled centre feather of the tail, found only on males. It is sometimes called the drake feather.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Mallard, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard : the breeding male's head is glossy bottle-green, with a white collar between head and neck and a brown breast tinged purple, a pale grey belly and grey-brown wings; both sexes have a speculum of white-bordered blue or purple feathers on the wing; the male's centre tail feather is curled; the female is mostly mottled brown. (2) Wikipedia, Duck, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck : the bill is usually broad with serrated pectens, well defined in filter-feeding species; legs set far back on the body, with webbed feet in aquatic species; wings short, pointed and very strong, needing fast continuous strokes in flight. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

These are the parts of a duck on a male mallard, the commonest wild duck, standing side-on with a foot close up. Start with the 7 main parts, then the drake's markings.

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Head to tail

A male mallard has a glossy green head, a broad flat bill and a white collar above his brown breast. The folded wing carries a bright speculum edged in white, and a curled feather sits above the tail.

Built for water

The bill's edges strain food from water and mud. The legs are set far back on the body, and the webbed feet work as paddles.

Drake or hen? Look for the green head, white collar and tail curl. The hen is mottled brown, but has a speculum too.

Questions and answers

What is the colored patch on a duck's wing called?

The speculum: a patch of blue or purple feathers edged with white. Male and female mallards both have one.

Why do ducks have webbed feet?

The skin between the toes turns each foot into a paddle for swimming. A duck's legs are set far back on its body, which helps too.

What is the curl on a duck's tail?

A curled centre tail feather that only male mallards have. It is sometimes called the drake feather.