Speculum feathers

File:Flickr - law keven - Happy Feathery Friday......jpg

A male mallard. The speculum feathers are bright blue with white edges

The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the secondary wing feathers, or remiges, of some birds.

Examples of the colour(s) of the speculum in a number of ducks are:

• Common teal and green-winged teal: Iridescent green edged with buff.<ref name="America"/>
• Blue-winged teal: Iridescent green.<ref name="Master Guide">Template:Cite book</ref> The species' common name comes from the sky-blue wing coverts.
• Crested duck and bronze-winged duck: Iridescent purple-bronze, edged white.<ref name="Waterfowl">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Pacific black duck: Iridescent green, edged light buff.<ref name="Waterfowl"/>
• Mallard: Iridescent purple-blue with white edges.<ref name="America">Template:Cite book</ref>
• American black duck: Iridescent violet bordered in black and may have a thin white trailing edge.<ref name="America"/>
• Northern pintail: Iridescent green in male and brown in female, both are white on trailing edge.<ref name="Master Guide"/>
• Gadwall: Both sexes have white inner secondaries.<ref name="America"/>
• Yellow-billed duck: Iridescent green or blue, bordered white.<ref name="Kenya">Template:Cite book</ref>

Bright wing speculums are also known from a number of other birds; among them are several parrots from the genus Amazona with red or orange speculums,<ref name="Panama">Template:Cite book</ref> though in this case the colors are pigmentary and non-iridescent.