Posted by Mia McPherson on January 11, 2010 at 5:43 PM
It looks like a mallard - domestic duck hybrid to me. I'm not a duck expert though.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 11, 2010 at 6:11 PM
I agree with Mia: a Mallard x domestic duck. Of course, with the exception on Muscovies, domestic ducks are Mallards of subspecies domestica, but you know what we mean.
Posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 11, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Make perfact sense since this group of ducks is near a duck farm. Thanks for the ID.
Mike
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 11, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Michael,
I agree with the others. On Long Island this is the most common hybrid Duck, but you also get Mallard X Black duck, Black Duck X Domestic Duck and some other ridiculous variations that I can't begin to wrap my head around
- Luke
Posted by bill meikle on January 12, 2010 at 10:24 AM
its definitely a duck, no question!
Let's call it a mule duck...
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 12, 2010 at 12:07 PM
My wife calls them "Mutant Ducks."
Posted by David Graham on January 13, 2010 at 7:40 PM
Your wife has it nailed, Jim!
The result of breeding between a wild-type mallard and a domestic variety of the mallard is not a hybrid, it is an intraspecific varietal intergrade (a "cross" or "cross-bred"). It's similar in concept to the result of breeding a Clydesdale and a quarterhorse (cross) and of breeding a horse and a donkey ( a hybrid). The former is simply a cross between two breeds of horse; the latter, a hybrid of two species.
And see... the Cosmic fabric endures...! (I'm a real fan of that quote from Sir Pratchett !)
Discussion
9 repliesThanks Mike
Mike
I agree with the others. On Long Island this is the most common hybrid Duck, but you also get Mallard X Black duck, Black Duck X Domestic Duck and some other ridiculous variations that I can't begin to wrap my head around
- Luke
Let's call it a mule duck...
The result of breeding between a wild-type mallard and a domestic variety of the mallard is not a hybrid, it is an intraspecific varietal intergrade (a "cross" or "cross-bred"). It's similar in concept to the result of breeding a Clydesdale and a quarterhorse (cross) and of breeding a horse and a donkey ( a hybrid). The former is simply a cross between two breeds of horse; the latter, a hybrid of two species.
And see... the Cosmic fabric endures...! (I'm a real fan of that quote from Sir Pratchett !)
Dave Graham, Estelline, SD