duck anatomy?

[maralynn28]

Hi all,
Please forgive my ignorance as this is my first time with anything other than 'normal' household animals (ie dogs, cats, fish) and new to ducks altogether.
I was watching my duckies dry themselves off post-bath the other day and noticed on my WH a patch of fuzz with a pinkish ring around it on her lower back near the tail. I thought maybe she was hurt so picked her up for inspection...it looks like it's supposed to be that way? I was nervous about it as they did peck eachothers feathers the night before I decided they needed a bigger brooding area-- sigh.
Anyway, I tried looking it up in Storey's and thought it might possibly be the 'oil gland' area? Although Storey's doesn't say where it is located only that it is "hidden in tail feathers." Can someone let me know if it is what I think or what else it could be?

 

[FenDruadin]

Sure sounds like the oil gland to me. Even before you said that, I was thinking "oil gland." It does look weird if you don't know what you're looking at. You'll probably notice them grooming that area often with their bills--they get the oil on their bills and preen their feathers with it, so they'll move their bills over that area often.

Nothing to worry about.

 

[maralynn28]

Thanks thought so...boy does it look weird, I guess it's "hidden" AFTER feathers grow in.