Identify this duck among the mallards please

[wildfirejc]

Hi All,

This morning, I noticed a different looking duck among the mallard in our ditch behind the house. Most of the cross-breeds have a little bit of mallard - like some with white chests and even one that look part goose. However, this one looks like a pochard. It quacks like a female mallard but at an octave higher. It has pale yellow web feet.

[aeshna5]

Looks like one of the innumerable forms of domestic Mallard.

[healfdan]

I think this is a variety of Call duck used as decoy birds

[htcdude]

Yes another domestic Mallard of some sort :-D

[thebeard]

doesnt look very mallard-like to me - more like an Aix species - but obviously mixed with something else...hmmm

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by thebeard

doesnt look very mallard-like to me - more like an Aix species - but obviously mixed with something else...hmmm

I can see where you're coming from with the Aix sp! Wood Duck, Aix sponsa, have a dark nail to the bill + the head looks more like this species than Mandarin. Given that Mallard (including all the domestic types) are known to hybridise with so many species, I guess a cross between these are a possibilty.

[thebeard]

could be a similar genus - i was looking through aussie birds earlier and came across australian wood duck - looks similar but not right. there could be loads of similar species!

[wildfirejc]

Thanks for all the replies. Checked the wood duck out but photos I've seen on the web make them look very colourful - whereas this one in Lydd is just plain grey/brown.

Anyone think it could be a cross Mallard with Gadwall? The beak is black and narrower, the legs are yellow and size is overall smaller too PLUS it has a quack very similar to a Mallard but is at a higher pitch.

[htcdude]

Some intresting hybrids here:

Hybrid Mallards

Including Mallard x Gadwall

Nige

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by thebeard

there could be loads of similar species!

Similar perhaps, but I don't think that you'll find any wild species that look like this duck!

I think that this is probably a hybrid with domestic Mallard and also some Muscovy Duck involved in it's parentage. The general shape, and also the apparently 'lumpy' bill base suggest the Muscovy parentage to me, with other features looking more Mallard like. It's possibly that Healfdan is correct to suggest 'call duck', at least as a part of the Mallard parentage, because the small size, rounded head, and short bill would all fit this breed.

I have to stress though that all of the above is basically speculation - I don't think that you will ever know for sure (although DNA analysis might help!).