Odd Year Old Ducks

[akcountrygrrl]

I just picked up a couple of year old Welsh Harlequins. I was looking for drakes and managed to find two (I think). The first has the coloration of a Harle drake and the curled sex feathers but quacks like a hen. The other one has a drake's voice and color but no sex feathers. These "boys" have me confused. What gives with these guys? Are they drakes?

 

[Senna95]

2 things:

1. We'd need pictures
2. They could be molting, which would make the male look like a female, (though the other way around is strange....)

 

[akcountrygrrl]

I'll see what I can do about getting pics. They are in between color phases right now and not in their best color. That was the only reason I could think of for a drake to be missing the sex feathers (either that or another bird plucked it) so I'm not as concerned about the one missing the sex feather. The one with the sex feather and the hen's voice is the one I'm really confused about.