These two female Wood Ducks stopped to feed in a pond near Shadyside Lake. They are in their first fall and not yet mature.
A mature pair of Wood Ducks floats on Killbuck Creek. Note the difference in appearance of the female as compared with the immature ones above.
This first-fall male is just beginning to get its colorful feathers. Compare it with the mature males below.
These mature males have the most gaudy coloration of any of our common birds.
Here is another study in maturity. The duck on the left is a mature male while the one on the lower-right is a first-fall male, just starting to get his "paint job". The other duck is a female.
Two males and a female are part of a gathering flock on Killbuck Creek. They will depart for warmer climates in a few days.