Mottled Duck (1 Viewer)

Bielefeld, Brasher, Moorman & Gray 2010. Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula). BNA Online.

Not sure that it's actually a change from the preceding version (Moorman & Gray), but the updated species account dated 21 Oct 2010 treats Anas fulvigula as monotypic (contra most recent literature).

Also comments: "...the American Ornithologists' Union has treated A. fulvigula as a species for decades, a treatment that is perhaps inconsistent with the lumping of A. p. diazi, particularly given that the Mexican Duck may be more closely related to A. fulvigula and A. rubripes than it is to A. platyrhynchos (McCraken et al. 2001, Webster 2006)".

Richard

Richard Klim said:

Bielefeld, Brasher, Moorman & Gray 2010. Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula). BNA Online.

Not sure that it's actually a change from the preceding version (Moorman & Gray), but the updated species account dated 21 Oct 2010 treats Anas fulvigula as monotypic (contra most recent literature).

Also comments: "...the American Ornithologists' Union has treated A. fulvigula as a species for decades, a treatment that is perhaps inconsistent with the lumping of A. p. diazi, particularly given that the Mexican Duck may be more closely related to A. fulvigula and A. rubripes than it is to A. platyrhynchos (McCraken et al. 2001, Webster 2006)".

Richard

Click to expand...

I've always wondered why Mottled Duck was maintained as a species when Mexican Duck was not. Never understood the reasoning behind that.

Webster 2006 is here:
http://www.azfo.org/journal/volumes/Volume2-3.pdf .

Mexican Duck

And here's IOC's rationale for recognising Anas diazi as a species (Dec 2009):
www.worldbirdnames.org/documents/MexicanDuck.html

Richard

Peters et al

Peters, Sonsthagen, Lavretsky, Rezsutek, Johnson & McCracken (in press). Interspecific hybridization contributes to high genetic diversity and apparent effective population size in an endemic population of mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula maculosa). Conserv Genet. [abstract]

Richard Klim said:

Peters, Sonsthagen, Lavretsky, Rezsutek, Johnson & McCracken (in press). Interspecific hybridization contributes to high genetic diversity and apparent effective population size in an endemic population of mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula maculosa). Conserv Genet. [abstract]

Click to expand...

Richard,
You and I both know where Mottled Duck occurs, but shouldn't its distribution be a fundamental factor to mention in an abstract when 'interspecific hybridization' with an endemic species is the subject? Must look for my 'Draft Reviewer' hat again....:C
MJB

Florida

Alfredo Begazo, 10,000 Birds, 27 Mar 2014: Mallards are a Threat to Mottled Ducks in Florida.

Hybridisation

Leukering & Pranty 2015. Mottled Duck Hybridization. eBird. [pdf]

PS. Peters et al 2014. Conserv Genet 15(3): 509–520. [pdf]

Anas fulvigula maculosa x A. platyrhynchos

Robert J. Ford, Will Selman, and Sabrina S. Taylor (2017) Hybridization between Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula maculosa) and Mallards (A. platyrhynchos) in the western Gulf Coast region. The Condor: November 2017, Vol. 119, No. 4, pp. 683-696.

Abstract:

Hybridization between species that do not normally interbreed has increased due to human impacts on natural environments, such as habitat alteration or introductions of nonnative species. In particular, the introduction of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) globally has led to hybridization with many duck species. In the southeastern United States, hybridization with Mallards is a potential threat to the genetic identity of Mottled Ducks (A. fulvigula), a nonmigratory, coastal duck species. Hybridization between Mallards and Mottled Ducks has been examined in South Carolina and Florida, but not extensively in the remaining part of the Mottled Duck range. Mottled Ducks introduced into South Carolina show considerable admixture with Mallards, whereas in Florida, the hybridization rate between Mallards and Mottled Ducks is ∼9%. Given these results, hybridization in the western Gulf Coast region is of potential concern and should be examined to determine the potential impact on the Mottled Duck lineage. In this study, we examined hybridization in the western Gulf Coast region using 36 microsatellite loci and 405 ducks consisting of putative Mottled Ducks (n = 319), Mallards (n = 76), and hybrids (n = 10). Overall, genetic analyses revealed levels of hybridization of ∼5–8%, with more individuals genetically assigned as hybrids from birds putatively identified as Mallards (5/76 and 14/76 in STRUCTURE and INSTRUCT, respectively) than as Mottled Ducks (14/319 in both programs). These data suggest that hybridization rates in the western Gulf Coast region are lower than those in Florida. However, projected coastal marsh loss in Texas and Louisiana may drive Mottled Ducks into urban wetland areas, an outcome that may increase contact between Mottled Ducks and Mallards and could result in similar levels of hybridization to those observed in Florida, where Mottled Ducks occupy urban and suburban habitats. Regular monitoring will help to determine future trends in levels of hybridization.