Parentage of a hybrid duck, Isle of Wight UK (1 Viewer)

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Mike in Cumbria

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #1

Parentage of a hybrid duck, Isle of Wight UK (Picture now added!)

Hi

Any thoughts on the parentage of this duck? It hasn't got the upcurled tail feathers of a mallard but suggestions have been American black duck x mallard, Muscovy x mallard, and it also looks rather like the Swedish blue duck (a domestic breed of mallard).

Any help welcomed. It's not my photo but I have the photographer's permission to check it out here.

Mike

 

Last edited: Feb 26, 2017

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Feb 26, 2017

• #2

Sorry, but the pic's fallen off . . .

 

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Mike in Cumbria

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #3

Well, I didn't want to make it too easy!

Is that better?

 

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Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Feb 26, 2017

• #4

Just looks like a hybrid mish mash to me



A

 

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stevethehydra

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #5

Definitely not an American Black Duck hybrid, and I'd say structurally too close to wild-type Mallard for a Muscovy x... so I'd be inclined to just go for a domestic Mallard type, albeit an odd-looking one.

 

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Mike in Cumbria

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #6

Thanks Steve, that's helpful. For future info, how did you rule out the American black duck heritage so conclusively?

I'm sure you're right about the domestic mallard, despite the tail feathers not curling.
Here is the Swedish blue duck (a breed of domestic mallard) which does show some similarities.

 

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stevethehydra

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #7

American Black Duck x (wild-type) Mallard hybrids look like these: http://birdhybrids.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/american-black-duck-x-mallard.html They pretty much never have a full green head.

In general, "Black Duck" is a pretty misleading name as none of the species called "Black Duck" (American, African or Pacific) are actually black - the American Black Duck looks more like a darker, greyer/"colder"-toned version of female or eclipse male Mallard.

Your bird also has the white patches on the throat/breast that are typical of a lot of Mallard-derived domestic ducks. (I suppose it *could* be an American Black Duck x domestic type Mallard hybrid, if the domestic parent was a "bibbed" type like the Swedish Blue, but that seems a lot less likely than just a "manky" (mixed domestic and wild-type) Mallard in the UK...)

 

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Mike in Cumbria

Well-known member

• Feb 26, 2017

• #8

Thanks Steve, very helpful reply.