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Bronzing


Bronzing
Photo Information
Copyright: Robi rdfoto (rdfoto) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 372 W: 0 N: 719] (3295)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-12-29
Categories: Birds
Camera: canon, Sigma 120-300mm F2.8, SanDisk CFExtreme4gb
Exposure: f/3.2, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Canards / Ducks Colvert [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-22 12:08
Viewed: 781
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Anas Platyrhynchos
The dabbling duck is 56–65 cm length, with an 81–98 cm wingspan, and weighs 750–1000 g. The breeding male is unmistakable with a green head, black rear end and a blue speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest. Males also possess a yellow bill with a black tip, females dark brown.
The female Mallard is light brown like most female dabbling ducks. It can be distinguished from other ducks by the distinctive speculum. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.
The Mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimize heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare, as they lack external ears. However, the bill of ducks is very well supplied with blood vessels and is vulnerable to cold.
The size of the Mallard varies clinally, and birds from Greenland, although larger than birds further south, have smaller bills and are stockier. It is sometimes separated as subspecies Greenland Mallard (A. p. conboschas).

The Mallard inhabits most wetlands, including parks, small ponds and rivers, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs.[2] It usually nests on a river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. They are exceptionally fast flyers for their size, reaching speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph).
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Robi
Good duck image...
Beautiful light...
The highlights are a bit blownout...
Nevertheless a good image in terms of compo and colors and so forth...
TFS
Annick

bonjour Robi très beau portrait de ce canard belle lumiere et couleurs bravo

eric

Hi Robi,
I like so much this picture!
It's kind a funny pose of the duck, he looks like so "round".
You got very good and sharp details, despite the bright light.
I like also the reflection on the water and the feet seen under.
The almost centered composition works pretty well in this case.
Well done and best regards,
JM

hello robi
belle photo
très belles couleurs et bon cadrage aussi
Nad

Allo Robi,
C'est une capture très bien détaillée et éclairée de cette belle femelle. J'aime bien voir ses pattes sous l'eau transparente. Si tu avais pu utiliser une ouverture plus petite, l'ensemble de son corps aurait été au foyer mais ça donne tout de même un bon effet. Bravo!
Claudine

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