eclipse plumage

American  

noun

Ornithology.

1. the dull plumage developed in some brightly colored birds after the breeding season.

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eclipse plumage British  

noun

1. seasonal plumage that occurs in certain birds after the breeding plumage and before the winter plumage: characterized by dull coloration

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Etymology

Origin of eclipse plumage

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

As a protection, the gaudy ones acquire a quiet, inconspicuous coloration for a time, so that the male is said to get an "eclipse plumage."

From An Australian Bird Book A Pocket Book for Field Use by Leach, John Albert

Early fall drakes are usually still in full eclipse plumage.

From Ducks at a Distance A Waterfowl Identification Guide by Hines, Robert W.

Blue-winged teal and shovelers may retain the eclipse plumage until well into the winter.

From Ducks at a Distance A Waterfowl Identification Guide by Hines, Robert W.

At this time the bird would be in eclipse plumage.

From Hormones and Heredity by Cunningham, J. T.

This hen-like appearance is called the eclipse plumage.

From Ducks at a Distance A Waterfowl Identification Guide by Hines, Robert W.