Some interesting hybrids

desertdarlene

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At the larger lake, most of the ducks are mallard, but there are a few domestic ducks there like runners, Pekins, a Muscovy and a couple of other breeds. It's made for some interesting combination of colors and sizes.

Perhaps someone can help me with identifying the possible breeds:

I think the photo below is a very beautiful duck.

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This next one below has an interesting story. I've known him since day one. I noticed that he would stand more upright and run around more than other mallard ducklings. His mom was being harassed by a drake and he kept getting knocked down by the male while following his mom around almost standing totally upright. When he was 10 days old, I noticed that his head looked different than other ducks, but otherwise seemed like a normal mallard. At 4-5 weeks, he was a little larger and differently shaped, but not too different in size and color than the other ducklings his age. In this photo, he's 12 weeks old and still hasn't flown and has shorter wings. He's slightly larger than other mallards with a more elongated body, too, but doesn't stand upright as much as he used to. I think he might be part Indian runner.

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In this one, it's a similar thing, though the wings are a little longer. There is also one more duck that looks like this one. They are not from the same brood as the one in the photo above, who was the only surviving duckling.

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Sorry the next one was blurry, it was the best of two that I took. I love how her head looks!

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This is one of the few "mules" that I've seen and he's been around a while. He won't let me get a photo of him from the front.

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He or she is actually almost the same size as the female mallards. We have a few that look like that. I think they might be Swedish ducks.

Next time I'm there, I'll try to find that one with the pretty head that came out blurry. It was actually the first time I've noticed her. We also have some wood duck hybrids, but not too many. I'll try to find them, too.
 
#1 - mallard/bibbed swedish cross
# 2 and #3 mallard/runner cross of some percentage
#4 reminds me mostly of a appleyard or maybe welsh harlequin - looks purebred not a mallard mutt mix at all.
#5 muscovy/mallard? maybe?

Oh and all directly pictured are females except #5 - pretty sure its a male by the curly lookin' tail
 
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I'm pretty sure you're right. #5 is a Muscovy hybrid male. He gets a green head now and then. I haven't seen him in the last month or two, though. He might have molted the green head and is all black now.

I think #1 might be a male, but hasn't grown his green head, yet (he's only 12 weeks old) I think his dad or granddad may be the black and white runner I see around. Most of the males were in eclipse when I took these photos, too, so they look a lot like the females.

I think you're right about #4 being an Appleyard. Very pretty ducks, by the way. Never seen one there before. I would love to see her ducklings if she has any next year.
 
I also think #1 is a male
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I thought he was in juvie plummage
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thus not much maleness to him yet. But I am just guessing.
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Here is a picture of the male duck he reminds me of - Dough is on the left (he is a call duck mutt) and 7 years old. The duck on the right is Henry and she is 10.

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Those are pretty ducks! Yes, we have some that look like both. Most of the ducks at the main entrance to this lake/park are hybrids like those.
 
I think this guy might be #1's dad. I don't think he's full blooded runner, but you can definitely see it in him.

mottledduck.jpg


At 12 weeks old, #1 is almost the same size as the one in this photo.


#1 actually started to get green feathers on his head when he was 4 to 5 weeks old, but they immediately fell out within the next day or two. I've seen that with a few of the other ducklings, too. They start to get some green about 5 to 7 weeks old, but it falls out right away.
 

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