Now there's a novelty! (1 Viewer)

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Jan 22, 2004

• #1

Photographed these two birds today. My guess is that they are Mallard x Shoveler hybrids. Look at the bill on the female - completely bonkers!
Any thoughts?

 

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  Hybrid Female.jpg

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  Hybrid Male.jpg

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Stephen Dunstan

Registered User

• Jan 22, 2004

• #2

Chris,

I can see what you mean with the female, I don't think the drake has any Shoveler in it. Why isn't the drake just an 'odd' Mallard with domestic input?

Stephen.

 

steve_nova

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #3

Probably just flown over from Sellafield!!!

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Jan 22, 2004

• #4

Stephen Dunstan said:

Chris,

I can see what you mean with the female, I don't think the drake has any Shoveler in it. Why isn't the drake just an 'odd' Mallard with domestic input?

Stephen.

Click to expand...

Hi Stephen,
it hasn't come out particularly well in this shot, but the bill on the male was also quite a bit more spatulate than would be expected. That, combined with the chestnut flanks and the bird's association with that bonkers female, led me to think that perhaps they had the same parentage.
I don't know, ducks, don't you just hate 'em!

 

Swift

Well-known member

• Jan 22, 2004

• #5

The male just looks like your average "daffy" avalaible in most parks etc , as for the female i'm not sure theres any real hybrid in there.

 

Stephen Dunstan

Registered User

• Jan 22, 2004

• #6

Chris,

Did you get any other shots of the duck?

Stephen.

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Jan 22, 2004

• #7

CJW said:

Look at the bill on the female - completely bonkers!
Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Looks like some manic biker ignored the "ducks crossing" sign. (Sorry, Christine!)

Jason

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Jan 22, 2004

• #8

Yeah, but I didn't keep 'em. Doh!
I'll see if I can get some more tomorrow - not that it matters, Swift has spoken.

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Jan 23, 2004

• #9

CJW said:

I don't know, ducks, don't you just hate 'em!

Click to expand...

LOL, are we having a bad day CJ?

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Jan 23, 2004

• #10

Hi CJW,
The male is definitely only mallard with some domestic duck genes, it is one of the commoner colour variants in these birdsin Germany, though not the commonest.
With the female I would like to see some more shots especially of the bill, but my impression is it is just mallard. Did the bill size of the female stand out?

Jörn