Please, show me your ducks

[Jenbirdee]

@Papaye I thought you’d like these.

This is my Swede-presenting girl. She molted recently and gained these new black splotches over her wings. I just think they are gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see what she molts into next
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I also re-discovered another one of my ducks has white on his wing Yes, wing! Singular! I saw this feather when his wings were first growing in, but I never saw it again once grown, so I was very confused. I just found it again last night and took some photos this morning. As you can see, he has a sneaky white feather only present in his right wing.
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so beautiful. my gander has some similar half black half white feathers

 

[Apolinne]

Here is my weird boy. Indian runner, 14 weeks. He started as a plain looking mallard duckling and I thought he was a she, but now that he started molting he ended up looking like this.
Like what the hell kind of colour even is he ? Mallard Dark roast ? Dark phase with brown is the closest but not quite, the description doesn't fit - his head is full on green not dark brown iridescent, also he has a bib and had stripes as a juvenile.
Dark mallards have grey tummies and his is brown. So I have no idea, what he is but he is weird and I love him.
(he's not done molting yet, but you can see what he's going to be like)

Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Here is my weird boy. Indian runner, 14 weeks. He started as a plain looking mallard duckling and I thought he was a she, but now that he started molting he ended up looking like this.
Like what the hell kind of colour even is he ? Mallard Dark roast ? Dark phase with brown is the closest but not quite, the description doesn't fit - his head is full on green not dark brown iridescent, also he has a bib and had stripes as a juvenile.
Dark mallards have grey tummies and his is brown. So I have no idea, what he is but he is weird and I love him.
(he's not done molting yet, but you can see what he's going to be like)

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Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

oh my i love them so cute

 

[Luv Ducks]

Here is my weird boy. Indian runner, 14 weeks. He started as a plain looking mallard duckling and I thought he was a she, but now that he started molting he ended up looking like this.
Like what the hell kind of colour even is he ? Mallard Dark roast ? Dark phase with brown is the closest but not quite, the description doesn't fit - his head is full on green not dark brown iridescent, also he has a bib and had stripes as a juvenile.
Dark mallards have grey tummies and his is brown. So I have no idea, what he is but he is weird and I love him.
(he's not done molting yet, but you can see what he's going to be like)

View attachment 3949959View attachment 3949960
Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

I have had one before that looked very much like yours. It was in a mixed duckling bin at our local Rural King. I thought maybe mine was part Khaki Campbell and part Mallard. It never got the white ring around its neck and had the same chest as yours. He is very pretty as mine was too. Mine was in a mixed Runner bin but ended up being more horizontal than vertical once grown.

 

[Apolinne]

oh my i love them so cute

Thank you Jen we ended up calling him Vincent, because my husband did not like Horatio. So I had him choose a name and he chose Vincent. It suits him I think and I named everyone else pretty much

 

[Apolinne]

I have had one before that looked very much like yours. It was in a mixed duckling bin at our local Rural King. I thought maybe mine was part Khaki Campbell and part Mallard. It never got the white ring around its neck and had the same chest as yours. He is very pretty as mine was too. Mine was in a mixed Runner bin but ended up being more horizontal than vertical once grown.

Woow, I just googled Khaki Campbells and they are beautiful. Vincent's colour is totally like that. Do you have a picture of your drake ? I would love to see him.

 

[Papaye]

Hello!

@Papaye I thought you’d like these.

You thought right!!

Thank you!

This is my Swede-presenting girl. She molted recently and gained these new black splotches over her wings. I just think they are gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see what she molts into next

Wow...!

I have my very first Blue coloured ducks - 2 Bibbed Blue Duclair ducks -, and they have black spots on their feathers!!
(I do wonder if ALL Blue ducks actually have black on their plumage?)

...Are the black spots on your girl's wings shiny?

I also re-discovered another one of my ducks has white on his wing Yes, wing! Singular! I saw this feather when his wings were first growing in, but I never saw it again once grown, so I was very confused. I just found it again last night and took some photos this morning. As you can see, he has a sneaky white feather only present in his right wing.

Ah, ah!
That's actually really cute!! He is perfect.

(Amazing pictures; seriously!)

Here is my weird boy. Indian runner, 14 weeks. He started as a plain looking mallard duckling and I thought he was a she, but now that he started molting he ended up looking like this.

Oooooh...
He is definitively a (pretty) boy!

Like what the hell kind of colour even is he ? Mallard Dark roast ? Dark phase with brown is the closest but not quite, the description doesn't fit - his head is full on green not dark brown iridescent, also he has a bib and had stripes as a juvenile.
Dark mallards have grey tummies and his is brown. So I have no idea, what he is but he is weird and I love him.

Yeah... what colour is he, indeed?!

I have compared his colours with my (juveniles) Trout Indian Runner boys' ones, but they are not so similar : my boys clearly have lighter feathers than yours.

If he was Dark Mallard/Grey... would he not have a black bill?
I know it would be the case for Ducth Hookbill ducks, at least...
...And since I have seen pictures of Mallard/Grey coloured Runner drakes with a BLACK bill... I imagine they were Dark Grey coloured?

...I would really love for you to keep posting pictures of your boy!!
(I am so curious...!!)

Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

(Buuuuuuuut... I also have a very dark purebred Saxony drakelet - born with Trout colours instead of the usual lighter colours...
Maybe your drakelet is the same : actually Grey coloured, but just have darker juveniles feathers...?
...What colour was he when he was born?)

 

[Papaye]

Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

Tell me if I am mistaken, but his hatch mates are a Snowy drake, and a... Apricot one?

In any case, regarding your Mallard coloured Runner...
...I was curious, so I have searched on the Internet; and here is a picture of one looking (almost) like yours : https://greenlandsfarm.org/poultry-game-birds/indian-runner-gray-mallard-12-eggs

 

[KathiQuacks]

Here is my weird boy. Indian runner, 14 weeks. He started as a plain looking mallard duckling and I thought he was a she, but now that he started molting he ended up looking like this.
Like what the hell kind of colour even is he ? Mallard Dark roast ? Dark phase with brown is the closest but not quite, the description doesn't fit - his head is full on green not dark brown iridescent, also he has a bib and had stripes as a juvenile.
Dark mallards have grey tummies and his is brown. So I have no idea, what he is but he is weird and I love him.
(he's not done molting yet, but you can see what he's going to be like)

View attachment 3949959View attachment 3949960
Here he is with his hatch mates drakes for comparison.

The coloration also reminds me of the Campbell x Rouen drakes I had! They were Rouen-like when born, but molted into Campbell-like plumage. Example of a boy who hasn’t molted, and a boy who’s nearly finished with it.

Campbells are the color “dusky mallard,” but I’m not good enough with colors to say that’s what you have or not

 

[Apolinne]

Yeah... what colour is he, indeed?!

I have compared his colours with my (juveniles) Trout Indian Runner boys' ones, but they are not so similar : my boys clearly have lighter feathers than yours.

If he was Dark Mallard/Grey... would he not have a black bill?
I know it would be the case for Ducth Hookbill ducks, at least...
...And since I have seen pictures of Mallard/Grey coloured Runner drakes with a BLACK bill... I imagine they were Dark Grey coloured?

...I would really love for you to keep posting pictures of your boy!!
(I am so curious...!!)


(Buuuuuuuut... I also have a very dark purebred Saxony drakelet - born with Trout colours instead of the usual lighter colours...
Maybe your drakelet is the same : actually Grey coloured, but just have darker juveniles feathers...?
...What colour was he when he was born?)

I don't have great pictures of him as a duckling, but he was very mallard looking.
And his juvenile feathers were like so. Very malardy in my opinion. I was sure he is a she, and than one day I look at him and his head is turning green.
And you're right, he had a dark bill, I totaly didn't realize how his bill changed color. And his feet were dark and now they're orange. I didn't notice any of it. That is wild !