Duck ID please

gobbiner · #1 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 07:07 PM

My guess is its a heinz variety, is there alsorts in it thank you...Ray

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 07:31 PM

It is a domestic type Mallard as you suspected!

animartco · #3 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 10:34 PM

hi Gobbiner. Ah, takes me back I used to have one just like him. It is a drake in eclipse an ornamental type that I believe was crossed with a Mandarin to get a much brighter colouring.

aeshna5 · #4 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animartco

hi Gobbiner. Ah, takes me back I used to have one just like him. It is a drake in eclipse an ornamental type that I believe was crossed with a Mandarin to get a much brighter colouring.

There's no Mandarin in there!

poppingjay · #5 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 03:10 PM

Whatever he is, he's very handsome

Picidae · #6 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 05:57 PM

It's a male mallard moulting into eclipse

aeshna5 · #7 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picidae

It's a male mallard moulting into eclipse

But not a pure wild bird- this definitely has some domestic genes in there!

Picidae · #8 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

But not a pure wild bird- this definitely has some domestic genes in there!

??? A 'mallard' is a 'mallard', domesticated or not!

aeshna5 · #9 (**permalink**) 19-07-2010, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picidae

??? A 'mallard' is a 'mallard', domesticated or not!

Yes + no. I think over 50% of the duck photos put on here for ID are usually some sort of "manky" Mallard as others call them; often suggested as hybrids when they're not, often confusing for some as they are not usually shown in field guides.

I was just pointing out it was a domestic variety rather than a typical wild type for clarity.

animartco · #10 (**permalink**) 19-07-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

There's no Mandarin in there!

Aeshna, Mandarins have been known to hybridize successfully with mallard, and that particular eclipse colouring is similar to the female Mandarin, and is nothing like the colouring of a female mallard. My drake when not in eclipse boasted a very large feather on top of his wing a little like the mandarins.