Is this a mallard please?

Hi, these two have just appeared today along side our usual gaggle of mallards. Can anyone tell me what they are please. They are roughly the same size as the male mallards, abit stockier, with greener beaks and an obvious difference in colour. Plus the small white stripe by the eye. They appear to be mallards but I'm not sure.                                              If any one can clear this up that would be great. Thanks

 

 

  • I believe they are known as Manky Mallards in that they have cross bred with another type of duck, Someone more knowledgeable may be able to be more specific

    Sarah

  • These are domestic Mallards (aka 'manky Mallards'). There are no other species involved in their ancestry. Selective breeding of domestic Mallards has resulted in various strains/breeds that vary in size, shape and plumage pattern.

  • You might like to compare yours with these two mallard hybrids I snapped the other day on the Thames.

    The first one has no white neck ring or bib at all, while the second has a less extreme version of your one with the white bib/white neck.

    No question though that they are mallard drakes - you can see the two curly tail feathers which no other species has.

    The more usual white bibbed hybrid has no white up the neck at all, and we have some of them around here too.

    Cor, luvaduck!!

    :-)

  • Whether or not Mallards like this should be referred to as "hybrids" is personal choice, though the over whelming majority of experienced birders that I know would not call them hybrids, restricting the use of that term to the offspring of two different species.

    As Aiki has said, no species other than Mallard is involved in the ancestry of the ducks pictured so far in this thread, and this is the case with almost all 'odd' Mallards that are seen. As with dogs, there are numerous different domestic breeds of Mallard, each with their own specific characteristics, but it is relatively rare for feral birds to 'fit the requirements' for a pure breed - most are cross breeds (like mongrel dogs).

    It is not really incorrect to refer to crosses between defined Mallard breeds as hybrids because the dictionary definition of "hybrid" allows for the use of the term for crosses between different breeds of domestic animals - it would just, perhaps, be clearer what was being referred to if the word was used in a more restrictive way! Of course, it is also possible that a duck that doesn't fit the precise specifications for a pure breed is not a cross between two different breeds - it may just be an individual in which a gene combination carried within the breed that doesn't fit the breed standards has been expressed (in which case it wouldn't be correct to refer to it as a hybrid).

    Still, I guess that the exact terms used to refer to these birds isn't really that important - ducks like these can be called "domestic Mallards", "Manky Mallards", "Yuck Ducks", "Heinz 57's", "Mallard cross breeds", or just "Mallards"! 

  • So if you want to be serious about the terminology I would be happy with mallard. Yuck or manky is just not right because there's nothing wrong with them!

    :-)

  • Actually I was wondering if my first one is what's known as a khaki Campbell?

    Can anyone confirm?

    :-)

  • Patricia M said:
    So if you want to be serious about the terminology I would be happy with mallard. Yuck or manky is just not right because there's nothing wrong with them!

    The 'names' I gave are all names that you might here used for Mallards like these. They are also sometimes called "Feral Mallards", or (more rarely) referred to by names of the breeds.

    Personally I tend to prefer "domestic Mallard", or "feral Mallard" to "Mallard" for this type of duck, because it differentiates them from wild type Mallards. As for the "Manky Mallard" and "Yuck Duck" terms, these are used quite frequently - and whether or not the name fits is down to personal opinion. In my view most of the pure breeds are generally nowhere near as attractive as wild Mallards, (Black East Indian being one main exception), and some of the breeds, and most crossbred individuals really do look a mess!

    Patricia M said:
    Actually I was wondering if my first one is what's known as a khaki Campbell?

    Khaki Campbell is probably the closest breed, but it couldn't be shown as one (at least under the British Waterfowl Association standards). The bill of a male khaki Campbell, or a dark Campbell, should be a blue-green colour, a yellow bill is a disqualification. For a khaki Campbell I believe that the body plumage should also be a warmer brown colour and not as grey.

    The other ducks in this thread don't aren't a close match to any breeds standardised in the UK, but are similar to a French breed "Canard deVouillé". (You may also find photos labelled as "Duclair Ducks" that look similar online, but the "canard de Duclair" breed should have an almost black body).

    A duck breeder may correct what I've said here though!

  • Right - I'll go for feral mallard then! Similarly for feral pigeons, which are a mixture of domestic rock doves gone back to the wild. Thanks Roy.

    :-)