Hi there,
I have a question about a duck I recently harvested. It looks like a mallard drake , however the feathers on the breast look mottled. Is this a juvenile drake or perhaps some sort of hybrid. I have enclosed a couple of pictures, hope they help! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Fred Brown
Answer:
Hi Fred, Thank you for the picture, it was very helpful!
In this case I believe this mallard drake is in the midst of molting back to his breeding plumage. Mallards like most ducks go through two annual molts, the non-breeding eclipse plumage throughout the summer during a flightless period, and then back to the breeding plumage in the fall. Its coloration during eclipse plumage resembles the female, brown, drab and concealing. The changes include increased brown pigment (on the breast, belly, flank and vent), loss of iridescence, loss of white neck ring, etc. However, Mallards select their mates in the fall, so they undergo the transition back to their radiant breeding plumage in order to attract the ladies during the later fall months. This transition obviously does not happen over night. The breeding plumage gradually returns on the body in different stages, usually beginning with the heads iridescent green and working back towards the tail.
Here in MB, it is common to see mallards that resemble your drake while hunting during the September and October months!
Take care Fred and thanks for the question!
Sincerely,
Carly Michie - Delta Waterfowl Biologist
Email us as biologist@deltawaterfowl.org - if it's selected for the web site you will receive a Delta T-Shirt!
