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White-breasted mallard???! Ottawa, ON (1 Viewer)

Gillian_M

Birding since 2006!
I went to a spot by the Ottawa River this afternoon where there are always lots of mallards and Canada Geese hanging out. Among all the ducks I saw what looked like a mallard hen with a white breast. She stood out from all the others, as you will see in the first photo. Everything else about her says mallard to me, so I'm wondering if she is a hybrid, a genetic oddity, or maybe just had too much fun with the bleach while doing her laundry!

Any thoughts on this "funny duck"? Also, does anyone know if they are very common?

Thanks!
 

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I'm gonna guess it's either slightly leucistic or crossed with a domestic / farmyard / yuck duck. As to if they are common, do you mean Mallards? Or slightly leucistic Mallards? Because Mallards are pretty gosh darn common, while leucistic ones are... I guess, in a word, "uncommon."
 
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Oh, there's no need to go leucistic. Mallards are notorious... for um... hybridizing... with pretty much anything that moves. Particularly around urban areas, you see all sorts of strange ones, crossed with who knows what.
 
overworkedirish said:
I'm gonna guess it's either slightly leucistic or crossed with a domestic / farmyard / yuck duck. As to if they are common, do you mean Mallards? Or slightly leucistic Mallards? Because Mallards are pretty gosh darn common, while leucistic ones are... I guess, in a word, "uncommon."

Hi Alex,

Sorry if I was unclear. I meant to ask if "funny white-breasted mallards" are very common! I've only been a serious birder since the spring, and while I have seen lots and lots (and lots!) of mallards I've never seen one like this!

Since it is likely to be a hybird (!) of some sort, it's too bad that it doesn't show more characteristics of its non-mallard parent.
 
I had one like that a year or so ago. I just figured it to be a tad mutant LOL Currently I have one that I swore was gonna end up being a male, but I was wrong and it is a female with a few odd coloring, plus it follows me around pecking my feet till I hand feed it. Guess I got myself a pet HEHE
 
It is indeed a pure mallard-probably with some domestic duck genes (which is not another species, just a domestic variant of mallard)....Common? Depends where you are ... such odd looking thingies are more common around urban areas in most parts of the mallard range...
 
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