Two Mallard hybrids...

[loripo]

Swimming together on a local pond. One has a blue bill the other orange speckled. The one with the orange bill has a bright teal coloured speculum.
What might be their parentage?





(I usually just think - oh hybrids, now adays, but these are quite unusual-looking).

[Jackaroo]

I'd no idea Mallards were so promiscuous.I'm dying to find out what species would be likely to do the dirty deed,not being very knowledgeable about the breeding habits of ducks. Nor much else for that matter!

[Guinnessman1974]

There are quite a few odd coloured Mallards on my local river, I think there has been some interbreeding with 'domestic' white ducks which are also on the river

[Ferret]

They are not crossed with anything they are just Mallards, all farmyard ducks are just selectively bred Mallards (except Muscovy which are a separate species), these two are just a mixture of several different types, but still just Mallards.
As to which type’s well I think this is anybody guess, without a breeder or farmer selecting the best examples of the types to breed with each other the offspring would start to vary from the type quite quickly and as most of these odd plumaged Mallards have been free from breeding controls for many generations and mixing with different types and wild type Mallards the parentage is anybody’s guess. If you type ‘domestic duck’ or similar into Google there are many sites showing domestic duck types, take your pick at what you think could be these two’s parents.

Ferret

[diggleken]

Hi Lori,
Ferrets largely right, its so difficult as there are so many potential parents.
However, its still possible to make a reasoned guess in some cases and as you say, these are clearly different - so, the first seems to have strong bill markings and colouration pointing to tufted or Scaup as one parent, and the second has a strong element of Saxony duck from the shape, plumage and bill colouration to mix with normal Mallard.
Or with a hybrid already in the mix..................
Bit of fun.
Cheers
Ken

[loripo]

Thanks all I think I'll go back to 'Oh hybrids'
Pretty tho aren't they?

[Gatekeeper]

Tufted Ducks Pochard, Scaup, and a few other similar species often interbreed leading to all sorts of confusion.

[accipter]

I know nothing about ducks so you will have to forgive me I know fish hybrids can not reproduce is it the same with hybrid ducks

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by accipter

I know nothing about ducks so you will have to forgive me I know fish hybrids can not reproduce is it the same with hybrid ducks

fish hybrids can, it's been proven by Andy nellist in his work on DNA testing with the brfc

[accipter]

Hello cap, I only ask because when I use to do a bit of fishing I was told bream hybrids could not reproduce is that right then.