Is there a name for this color?

[Luminide]

My three mystery ducks have piqued my curiosity again...A few months ago, they were a solid cool blue/silver color, but lately they're developing a sort of red mahogany breast color. I've never seen this coloration before on a duck. Does anyone know if there's a name for it?








The pictures don't do it much justice...its increasingly noticeable, especially on the female. (First pic.)

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

They are so cute! Could it be a chocolate color? That's what it looks like to me.

 

[kswaterfowl]

blue fawns maybe with a runner-pattern gene, unless they are mule-ducks (Muscovy crosses) and then I don't know. Never seen anything like that in Mallard-derived birds, but have seen Muscovy crosses with similar patterns. Typically from Muscovy Runner crosses.

 

[Avlana]

I'm not sure, but they're pretty cool!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Or could that be the simply beautiful Lavender? Very pretty.

 

[AliciaDuckLady]

Our Muscovies were a chestnut brown before they turned black and white. Very pretty but it didn't last. I have seen some though so maybe that is the case. They are gorgeous!

 

[learycow]

Those look like mule ducks (muscovy crosses)

 

[Luminide]

Hm, I've been looking very closely at them for a few days, keeping these comments in mind. I've always seen a lot of runner in them, and swedish looks like a contributing factor too. I'd be sad if they truly were mules, since I'd like to breed them...but I admit I can see something very like Muscovy in the way they sound and the male to female size differences. I think Kswaterfowl may be right when they say it could be a runner pattern gene, too. I looked into that and it seems they can have brown/buff on their heads and across their chests? Their heads have been darkening too, so perhaps its just a muddled version of that pattern.

In any case, thank you for your comments! This definitely quelled my curiosity a little.

 

[learycow]

With mules you get moulards and hinnies.
Hinnies are a female muscovy crossed with a mallard-derived male. Offspring are sterile, but females will lay eggs. They tend to be similar to mallard birds where they quack and stand somewhat more upright. But similar to muscovy where the males and females are very different in size and the females can fly. These eggs take 32-35 days to hatch.

Moulards are the opposite. Muscovy male with mallard-derived female. They take 30-32 days to hatch. Most offspring are big and fast growing (typically raised as meat birds), sterile offspring, and the females will NOT lay eggs.

Your's look to be moulards but its hard to tell. Do you know who the parents could be? That would tell us for sure.
But yes, definitely mixes. They have the typical pretty and various coloring and muscovy/mixed bodies. Muscovy-ish heads and bills, but not quite a muscovy body. Slightly more vertical and not horizontal like a muscovy

Does that help a little?

 

[Luminide]

Thank you Learycow, that definitely does. I wasn't aware there were so many differences between hinnies and moulards. I'm afraid I have no idea what their lineage is- they were dumped on my pond by an unknown source in spring.