
AMERICAN WIDGEON 
Sex Determination of Adults 
Wings with vermiculated scapulars are from males. Wings with 
non-vermiculated scapulars may be from either males or females. The 
tertials of adult males are long and acutely pointed. The outerweb 
is entirely shiny black with a narrowtrim of white running the entire 
length of the feather's edge. The rachis is trimmed with white. The 
inner web is a dull, dark gray and the tips may have traces of vermi- 
culation. Tertials of adult females are shorter and more bluntly 
pointed. The outerweb is brownish-gray and edged with white over its 
entire length. The rachis is not trimmed, The inner web is gray. 
The feather tip is never vermiculated. The greater tertial coverts 
of adult males are gray, pointed and usually have traces of vermicula- 
tion near their tips. On adult females these feathers are dark brown 
but are edged with a conspicuous white arc around each covert. The 
middle coverts of adult males are entirely white anterior to the second- 
aries but gray anterior to the tertials. The middle coverts of adult 
females have light colored centers surrounded by darker areas and each 
covert is circumscribed by a sharply defined white edging. Under-wing 
coverts of adult males are pale but heavily flecked. Those of adult 
females are brownish with white edging. 
Sex Determination of Immatures 
Immatures of either sex can be recognized bythe small, light-edged, 
brownish tertials that are usually frayed and faded. Immature greater 
tertial coverts are also small, brownish and much frayed and faded. 
The middle coverts of immature males vary from a "dirty white" to 
dark feathers with light centers surrounded by cream or gray edging 
that is poorly defined. On immature females these feathers are dark, 
lack light centers, and usually have light brown edging that is fairly 
well defined. The greater coverts over the secondaries on immature 
males generally have white outerwebs. On immature females these feathers 
are usually a dull brown on both sides of the rachis. Older immatures 
may show the same sex difference on the under-wing coverts as do adult 
birds but some immature males appear female-like. 
10 
