Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
I would put some weight on breast color, as the paler breast (or as you say, more orange breast) is something that can occur in Mallard x Eastern Spotbill and in Mallard x Indian Spotbill.
However, you can also have this paler breast color in domestic mallard or birds with some domestic ancestry. As it shows further features like bill pattern, weaker tail curls than mallard, it ticks some boxes for having some spotbill genes. (Note that variability in phenotype is high and hybrids are fertile and backcrosses occur
Here are some links to Indian spotbill x mallard with paler breast:
Here is an eastern spotbill x mallard with paler breast
In this thread are links to some other eastern spotbill x mallard to see the high variation
www.birdforum.net
BUT as said, Steves duck also shows involvement of a domestic dwarf breed of mallard ( the Call duck)
and head pattern would be unusual for a first generation cross mallard x spotbill, I think.
So in the end we do not get any further than : It looks like as if it has some spotbill genes ... and should leave it at that unless someone is going to get some feathers and does a DNA analysis ...
However, you can also have this paler breast color in domestic mallard or birds with some domestic ancestry. As it shows further features like bill pattern, weaker tail curls than mallard, it ticks some boxes for having some spotbill genes. (Note that variability in phenotype is high and hybrids are fertile and backcrosses occur
Here are some links to Indian spotbill x mallard with paler breast:
Here is an eastern spotbill x mallard with paler breast
In this thread are links to some other eastern spotbill x mallard to see the high variation
another one via inaturalist: 'just' hybrid Mallard x Eastern Spot-billed Duck | NW Tokyo | march 2023
Dear those interested, Note: this is not my record/photo, I am just passing on information as I deem it interesting for the greater BF community. This duck has been id'd on inaturalist as a hybrid Mallard X Eastern Spot-billed Duck male. It looks a bit domestic Mallard x Eastern Spot-billed...
www.birdforum.net
BUT as said, Steves duck also shows involvement of a domestic dwarf breed of mallard ( the Call duck)
and head pattern would be unusual for a first generation cross mallard x spotbill, I think.
So in the end we do not get any further than : It looks like as if it has some spotbill genes ... and should leave it at that unless someone is going to get some feathers and does a DNA analysis ...