Variations on a Theme

[xke4]

I received these rescued Mallards from an office building downtown as one group. Interesting variations in colour. The white ones are leucisic. A form of albinism but they lack the pink eyes of my true albino.

 

[1lpoock]

hmmm really interesting...you've got some white mallards....definetly some cross breeding, but i dont know with what?

 

[xke4]

Animals and birds that look albino but still retain some pigment are called leucisic. This includes the little one that looks like a pale version of a Mallard. Not to be confused with a naturally white coloured duck. A true albino Mallard will have pink eyes whereas these little fellows have enough pigment in their systems to have black eyes.
I can't get the link to copy/paste on here, but if you "Google" "Cornell leucisic" there is a good explanation of the phenomenon there.

 

[chixie]

beautiful ducks... I love your white ones

 

[Wifezilla]

So how do they like their new home?

 

[xke4]

These little guys were brought in to the wildlife rehab centre that I am associated with. www.salthaven.org Any ducklings that are brought in are sent to me where they are raised up to the poing that they can go out on grass all day back at the centre. This is where they are now, poking great holes in the lawn and making great messes of their pool. Each night, all the ducks and geese are rounded up and brought inside the clinic for safety sake but eventually, they will take wing and fly away to resume their normal life. It is sad but rewarding to see them go.