No, all ducks are not yellow in color. You can find yellow pigmentation only in the ducklings and certain breeds of ducks. Young ducks have this yellow pigmentation when they are small and as they grow the yellow color fades away.
Let’s get to know how the breed and age of the duck can influence their body color.
Does Every Duck Have a Yellow Color?
If you see yellow ducks in cartoons or books and believe that ducks are yellow, then we are here to break the truth that not all ducks are yellow. Even yellow ducklings are so rare and mostly the ducks born with yellow color later change as they grow up. Generally, you can find ducks that are white or brown.
Ducklings exhibit a yellow hue due to the presence of protoporphyrin, a pigment found in their down feathers. As ducks progress into adulthood, the protoporphyrin is substituted by other pigments, resulting in a white coloration of their feathers. Notably, the genes responsible for the color of a duck’s down differ from those determining the color of its feathers. This genetic distinction explains the variation in the coloration of ducklings, ranging from pure yellow to yellow with brown or predominantly brown.
Why are Ducklings Yellow?
Here are the reasons that make ducklings yellow:
There are specific breeds of ducks that have a yellow color based on their genetics. You can find one such popular breed in Pekin, where the ducks are yellow and the pigment is not on their skin, but rather on their feathers. The pigmentation is called carotenoids and they receive it through their diet.
Also, the duck’s plumage is also affected due to environmental factors making the duck yellow. Now, as the diet changes, the yellow color starts to diminish. Moreover, due to genetics, mutation, and other external factors a duck’s feather can produce yellow pigmentation, making the duck look yellow.
Which are the Duck Breeds with Yellow Ducklings?
Here are the three main duck breeds that have yellow ducklings:
American Pekin
These are some of the popular domestic ducks that have been dated back to 1872 and have white feathers and orange bills. However, their ducklings are bright yellow colored.
German Pekin
These ducks have Chinese heritage and they also have undergone enough modifications based on countries. They are usually crossbred with upright white ducks from Japan. Thus, you can find that their ducklings are yellow in color due to selective breeding.
Call Duckling
Call Duck are of several species, such as White Call Duck and Snow Call Duck. These are known to be the smallest ducks of the lot and they have yellow ducklings.
What is the Significance of Plumage in Ducks?
Plumage has an important role in mating and maintaining social hierarchy among the bird species. If you find that a duck has a bright color, then it is a sign of a healthy bird and they are also genetically superior mates. Moreover, this gets more complex among ducks as they vary widely.
