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Unknown water bird NJ USA (1 Viewer)

tizziec

Well-known member
I live on the central Jersey shore and was kayaking around in a somewhat marshy area. Low and behold i see what looks like an oversized mallard in teh reeds. I get closer and the bugger is completely black including the bill. the closest thing i could find ina book was the muscovy but I do not see how that would be too likely here. There where maybe five in the group, all totally black and larger than a mallard. I am not great with the water birds but I could not find anything on these buggers. any help here would be nice.
 
I will have to look into muscovies in the area, I have never heard of one. It did not have any of the funky red that the domestic muscovy had that I saw at a truck stop in one of the carolinas. I will do what I can to get a picture. maybe take my old camera out, wrapped in a plastic bag LOL there is no way for me to get to the area I saw them on land without tresspassing. I will go by the place they were hanging and ask for permission if anyone is there though
 
I'm not saying it was a Muscovy; I'm just saying that they frequently escape. Actually if it looked like an oversized Mallard, but was all black, it might have been an oversized domestic Mallard of one of the black varieties.
 
Not sure it this helps but I looked around and the closest thing to it I can find is a cayuga duck though the ones I saw were BLACK and did not have any of teh brilliant coloration that is desribed on teh cayuga. DAMN I need to get a pic. I do not think it is a muscovy as the bill to the foot was BLACK, none of the white on teh wings or read on teh bill that you would see on the muscovy
 
Hi tizziec
I've got a load of photos of domestic mallards (including some very dark ones) on my blog at http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/~charlie/mankymallards/mankymallards.html
You might find something close to your bird there...
Cheers

The black east indian type looks CLOSE but the one I saw was closer to the body size of a canadian goose (slightly smaller) but with a ducklike neck/head and the bill was as black as the bird. Oh and black legs and feet as well
 
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