Mallard (domestic ancestry)
Myers Point, NY - 1 December, 2007
First thought (by me) to be a Mallard X N. Shoveler hybrid, it turns out this bird is more likely to
have some domestic mallard/duck in its family tree... Still, an interesting looking bird! :)
Note the extensive brown/chestnut on the flanks and sides of the breast, darker upperparts,
slightly more orangish bill, and the large white "shoveler-like" patch at the rear of the flanks.
In the photo below, note the orange-yellow coloration of the bill relative to the legs of the duck and the Ring-billed Gull.
Here is a comparison with a "normal" Mallards. (Am. Black Duck in back).
Here is a presumably "normal" Mallard (above) and the domestic/hybrid individual in the photos below.
