American Black Duck

[casportpony]

Never heard of this breed!
https://amp-thetimesherald-com.cdn....can-black-duck-but-dont-feed-them/4748191002/

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Thank you very much for the link! The article explains a mystery to me:
»American black ducks closely resemble female mallards. They appear black from a distance but their artfully colored feathers are mostly dark brown with a fine tan border. Mallard females have lighter brown body feathers with four alternating, oblong rings of medium brown and tan on each feather. «
OK, that explains the weird looking "mallards" at the local park's pond i've seen last year. The males really looked like mallard females, ne green heads no white necklace but they were rasping. I thought "strange eclipse plumage" when they all started mating and fighting…
There were also "ordinary" mallard pairs living together with them and in the end i thought "maybe a weird mutation or interbreeding with domestic ducks" but no, American Black Duck!

 

[sourland]

In my experience not a real common species anymore. They readily interbreed with mallards to produce hybrid offspring. At a little local spring fed pond every winter 20 or 30 mallards will show up along with a half dozen or so Black Ducks.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

No wonder yo have not heart of these ducks: »American black ducks are found only in eastern North America and they are a year-round resident to our area.«
I guess i will visit that park over the weekend, maybe i can snatch some pictures/videos…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

In my experience not a real common species anymore. They readily interbreed with mallards to produce hybrid offspring. At a little local spring fed pond every winter 20 or 30 mallards will show up along with a half dozen or so Black Ducks.

Agree! The mallards sex drive makes the males hump everything remotely resembling a duck…

 

[Beaglegal]

Never heard of this breed!
https://amp-thetimesherald-com.cdn....can-black-duck-but-dont-feed-them/4748191002/

Cool