Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)

The Florida population is now recognized as a separate subspecies (A. f. fulvigula) from the allopatric Texas and Louisiana population (A. f. maculosa). Florida birds have a yellower bill and less distinctly marked plumage. This is a male. Females have an orange bill. A close relative of the American Black Duck (rare in southern Florida), the two can be difficult to separate. Male Mottled Ducks such as this can be as dark as American Black Ducks but Mottled Ducks have a dark spot at the base of the bill (visible in this photo) which American Black Duck lacks.