Duck Watcher!

So I'm interested in the local ducks - they have so much variety! But also quite aware of their evil, rapey hybridisation ways. Mallards x Pacific Black Ducks, particularly.

I'm loving this project - dob in your feral ducks: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mallards-hybrids-in-australia

There's also this worldwide one:
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/projects/muddled-ducks

So for the minute this is just where I'm keeping links to papers/articles I think are interesting.

A great article showing ways to spot a hybrid from ebird aus:
https://ebird.org/australia/news/identifying-mallard-x-pacific-black-duck-hybrids

I really found Tamieka's collection of iNaturalist sightings helpful when thinking about the variety of ducks out there in hybrid land:
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/journal/tamika_lunn/50373-differentiating-ducks-native-mallard-and-mallard-hybrids

The end of this paper has a great range of images of the diversity of heads and wings of PBDxMallard hybrids, and recognises a spectrum.
https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Williams_66_45-63.pdf

Excepting the Muscovy, domestic breeds of ducks are mallards, in the same way very diverse looking dog breeds are all the same species. This helped me think more about the wild variety of forms I see at my local lake. Here's a list of domestic breeds for further investigation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_duck_breeds
And breed image tiles including size/weight of ducks:
https://poultrykeeper.com/duck-breeds/

And a quick look poster showing 16 mallard breeds:
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/492718966/a4-posters-breeds-of-ducks

1992 S.Aus paper showing facial markings:
http://birdssa.asn.au/images/saopdfs/Volume31/1992V31P103.pdf

To get into other duck hybrids:

Mallards vs Muscovies:
https://inaturalist.ca/journal/that_bug_guy/71906-mallard-x-muscovy-duck-way-out-waterfowl

由使用者 jstarspots jstarspots2023年02月25日 02:24 所貼文

觀察

照片/聲音

什麼

家鴨 (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

觀察者

jstarspots

日期

6月 23, 2021 09:57 AEST

描述

Mixed flock of feral ducks and possible hybrids? Most of the ducks present at the lake at this time. Of note is the particularly small duck in the middle foreground.

照片/聲音

什麼

家鴨 (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

觀察者

jstarspots

日期

5月 13, 2022 13:57 AEST

描述

Most of the feral duck population on the lake at the time. Possible hybrids amongst them? Obvious mallards and muscovies. One very small “call duck” with bright iridescent patch on wing.

Population
~10 Mallards
3 muscovies
1 hybrid (small duck entering water, but better shown in this post:
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/149595635

照片/聲音

觀察者

jstarspots

日期

6月 2, 2022 14:06 AEST

描述

Front is the one I think is a hybrid based on the mottled beak and orange legs. Back a feral mallard. These two were paired up for breeding this year.

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