Cross breeding ducks

[Appleblossom]

I've just had a day at Llangollen, and on the canal there was a male Mandarin duck with a female Mallard, and a large clutch of ducklings. (she was definitely a Mallard, I wasn't mistaken)

There was no sign of regular Mallard families, either there or on the river, only a majority of Mallard drakes and a few females. So, I've been using my good old friend, Google, to find out more info on the pairing. I can't really find much, apart from the fact it doesn't seem unknown.

Then I remembered this site, although I couldn't remember my original account log in info, as it's ages since I came here.

Anyway, I waffle, I was wondering if anyone has some insight into the future of these ducklings. Any idea what they'll look like? Are they the only ducklings around there at the moment, because the parents bred earlier, or that their incubation period is shorter? And will they be infertile, like mules?

Thanks in advance for any input and replies.

[aeshna5]

Welcome to WAB. Mallard have been recorded hybridising with a large variety of species including Mandarin as you've discovered on your search.

Though it's possible this Mandarin may have mated with the Mallard there is still a strong possibility that she was fertilised by a drake Mallard. Normally they just mate + leave the female, though occasionally a drake will hang around his mate.

Did you take any photos of the ducklings? If they survive (mortality is often high with new ducklings) it will be interesting to see if they are hybrids or not.

[Appleblossom]

I'm afraid I didn't take their photo. When we walked back along the canal, I was looking out for them, and they were on the far bank, huddled together

Next time we go to Llangollen I'll walk on by the canal again and look for them

[RoyW]

I would suspect that this will turn out to be a breed of pure Mallards. As aeshna has said, male ducks generally have nothing to do with the ducklings (the part they play ends after the female is fertilized), any apparent associations that you see between a male duck and a female with her brood will usually be coincidental. It will typically be unlikely that the male has anything to do with the brood - even if he is the same species. The fact that you saw mainly male Mallards suggests that other females are sitting on eggs.

If you keep an eye on the brood, and take some photos once they are older, it will be far easier to say for certain whether they are hybrids (anything is possible). Mallards have been recorded hybridising with a large number of other duck/goose species, but I don't believe that Mandarin is one of them. In fact there does not appear to be anything more than circumstantial evidence that Mandarins have hybridised with any other wildfowl (except perhaps Laysan Duck - of which there is one published but unproven case).
If anyone knows of any photographs of apparent Mandarin hybrids online (or elsewhere) I would be interested in seeing them - and I expect that those who have made more serious studies of wildfowl hybrids would be very interested as well.


PS. Welcome (back) to WAB Appleblossom!