Hi!
I am sharing pictures of Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner ducks, so to show people what they look like...!!
• • • • • •
FOR INFORMATION :
What does "Spotted Dusky" mean, exactly...?
"Spotted Dusky" is, in fact : a Dusky patterned plumage in Light phase AND in Harlequin phase.
Meaning that : a Spotted Dusky duck is "md/md; li/lih".
• • • • • •
md = Dusky gene
li = Light phase
lih = Harlequin phase
• • • • • •
Here is my 8-and-a-half-months-old Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner hen - at the center of the picture :
Her back :
Her front :
As we can see, my girl here does merely look like a Light Dusky hen, but with BLUE wing speculums.
And JUST to compare both of these colours...
...here is one of my Light Dusky coloured Indian Runner hens - at the center of the picture :
(Light Dusky coloured ducks are : "md/md; li/li".)
Light Dusky ducks have, in fact, a very dark wing speculum.
The speculum indeed appears black (or at least very dark gray), and is often penciled... but it is iridescent in the sunlight - though it does not shine as brightly as Mallard ducks' wing speculum : it is, actually, the same as Dark Dusky ducks'...
Whereas the wing speculum on a Spotted Dusky duck is similar to Mallard ducks', but just a bit darker if not in the direct sunlight...!
(...AND as you can see on the pictures of my Spotted Dusky hen, we can't even discern white bars above and below the speculum that ARE on Mallards' wings, but that seem to be lacking on her wings...)
► Just to be precise : it is thanks to the lone Harlequin allele in Spotted Dusky ducks that their speculum is so blue - as it is explained here : https://www.duskyfeatherswaterfowl.com/dusky-pattern
...Close picture of my Spotted Dusky girl's wing speculum when she was 2-and-a-half-months-old :
...Now, as for a Spotted Dusky boy...
...here is my girl's Dad - a beautiful Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner drake :
His front :
His back :
It would appear I have lost most of my prettier pictures of this Spotted Dusky drake...
(AND I CAN'T EVEN TAKE NEW ONES, since I have re-homed him in 2025...)
...nevertheless, I have at least found a picture of him as a juvenile, and in which it is apparent his wing speculum is indeed very blue :
As shown by the pictures : whether he is in his juvenile or in his nuptial plumage, this boy - similarly to his daughter - just looks like a Light Dusky coloured drake, but with BLUE wing speculums...
...Voilà!
► REGARDLESS of their colour dilution, I really love Spotted Dusky coloured ducks; and so : if someone here have them, please do post pictures!
(Thank you!!)
I am sharing pictures of Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner ducks, so to show people what they look like...!!
• • • • • •
FOR INFORMATION :
What does "Spotted Dusky" mean, exactly...?
"Spotted Dusky" is, in fact : a Dusky patterned plumage in Light phase AND in Harlequin phase.
Meaning that : a Spotted Dusky duck is "md/md; li/lih".
• • • • • •
md = Dusky gene
li = Light phase
lih = Harlequin phase
• • • • • •
Here is my 8-and-a-half-months-old Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner hen - at the center of the picture :
Her back :
Her front :
As we can see, my girl here does merely look like a Light Dusky hen, but with BLUE wing speculums.
And JUST to compare both of these colours...
...here is one of my Light Dusky coloured Indian Runner hens - at the center of the picture :
(Light Dusky coloured ducks are : "md/md; li/li".)
Light Dusky ducks have, in fact, a very dark wing speculum.
The speculum indeed appears black (or at least very dark gray), and is often penciled... but it is iridescent in the sunlight - though it does not shine as brightly as Mallard ducks' wing speculum : it is, actually, the same as Dark Dusky ducks'...
Whereas the wing speculum on a Spotted Dusky duck is similar to Mallard ducks', but just a bit darker if not in the direct sunlight...!
(...AND as you can see on the pictures of my Spotted Dusky hen, we can't even discern white bars above and below the speculum that ARE on Mallards' wings, but that seem to be lacking on her wings...)
► Just to be precise : it is thanks to the lone Harlequin allele in Spotted Dusky ducks that their speculum is so blue - as it is explained here : https://www.duskyfeatherswaterfowl.com/dusky-pattern
...Close picture of my Spotted Dusky girl's wing speculum when she was 2-and-a-half-months-old :
...Now, as for a Spotted Dusky boy...
...here is my girl's Dad - a beautiful Spotted Dusky coloured Indian Runner drake :
His front :
His back :
It would appear I have lost most of my prettier pictures of this Spotted Dusky drake...
(AND I CAN'T EVEN TAKE NEW ONES, since I have re-homed him in 2025...)
...nevertheless, I have at least found a picture of him as a juvenile, and in which it is apparent his wing speculum is indeed very blue :
As shown by the pictures : whether he is in his juvenile or in his nuptial plumage, this boy - similarly to his daughter - just looks like a Light Dusky coloured drake, but with BLUE wing speculums...
...Voilà!
► REGARDLESS of their colour dilution, I really love Spotted Dusky coloured ducks; and so : if someone here have them, please do post pictures!
(Thank you!!)
