# Need help naming duck species



## kelsey7692 (Jul 28, 2010)

I'm doing a bird observation project as part of my degree. I chose Mallards, but we have to include other species we find interacting/living/around the chosen species. The river I use to observed the Mallards often has another duck species living with the Mallards. There's only one and I've tried google but no deffinate species name came up.

The duck is around the same size as a Mallard, could possible be slightly bigger. It's completely white with an orange beak. I've not seen it out the water but I'm guessing it's feet are orange too.

During my google search something did mention a 'white Mallard' but I'm not sure if that's what it could be. It does look like it's meant to live on a small farm or small holding and possible got away.

Thanks


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## white (May 16, 2009)

muscovy?


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## kelsey7692 (Jul 28, 2010)

I've just googled that and it doesn't really look like that. It looks sort of cartoon duck like. Haha.

I did try using the RSPB website but my uni internet filtered the page :|


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## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

One of these??? Definitely bigger than a mallard though. Here found near a local canal. Unfortunately I'm not sure what they are either! I believe they are a domestic breed, not a wild one.

As a non-definitive short list, try looking up aylesbury, call and pekin ducks - that latter not to be confused with the tasty peking! I think they vary in size and shape so that may give a clue.









This is a white mallard in the local park. She visits often in winter. But note she isn't completely white. I don't know if you can get whiter samples.


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## kelsey7692 (Jul 28, 2010)

It looks like the ones in the first picture. It's the only one of that kind around there, and is always with the mallards, which is why I think it might have been domestic at one point. Deffinately completely white. Google seems to be coming up with nothing better than calling it a 'white duck'. Haha. 

Thanks for the help


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## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

I wondered what they were and didn't get a definitive answer. As said, try looking Aylesbury duck, Call duck, and Pekin duck. They're all white, but vary in size and shape between them. I think the pekin is more mallard-like than the ones in my 1st photo.


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## kelsey7692 (Jul 28, 2010)

Thank you  I'll try all of them and see what I can find. If not i'll refer to it as an unknown in my write up


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## laurencea (Aug 28, 2009)

it could be a white mallard, there are some crazy colours out there due to breeding with domestic escapees, etc.

there used to be a white mallard/domestic hybrid on the river at kingston, probably still there.


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## Lucky Eddie (Oct 7, 2009)

I would go with white mallard.

IIRC, all domestic ducks (apart from Muscovy) are descended from mallards anyway.

Domestic chaff in other words...............:devil:


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## andyh75 (Nov 16, 2008)

Sounds like domestic Aylesbury Ducks


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

Aylesburys and Pekins are heavier built, Call Ducks are smaller. Pure white, but otherwise normal shaped mallards are not uncommon. They are effectivly a colour mutation but are the result of domestication. Most "wild" Mallards have domestic blood in them anyway and are quite variable in colour and pattern, although many are not as obvious as the pure white examples, so geneticly your normal looking examples are probably just as domesticated. I guess you could call them feral Mallards, in the same sence that you have feral Rock Doves.










Picture from google to show what I mean. These are all Mallards (obviously excluding the canada goose, the coot and the black headed gulls) Most have normal colouring but with them are 2 white individuals and several dark with a white chest, also a common colour mutation derived from domestic stock. There are also a couple of less noticable, but just as domestic, examples such as the pale female on the far left, the male with pied flanks and rump in the centre, just below the centre dark bird, and the male with dark flanks in the far background on the waters edge. These mutations can apear within broods of normal birds, and many of the birds in the picture are probably siblings, with the normal looking individuals still carying the mutations.


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## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

The two white ducks I'd find hard to accept as just mallards as they are visibly bigger than mallards. Are they not either domestic breeds, or at most a domestic hybrid?


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

GlassWalker said:


> The two white ducks I'd find hard to accept as just mallards as they are visibly bigger than mallards. Are they not either domestic breeds, or at most a domestic hybrid?


 Yeah, thats the point. The whole lot are what you describe as "domestic hybrids", Feral ducks as aposed to pure wild Mallards. Some, such as the white individuals, just show it more than others. The same as the Feral Pigeons you see in the streets are all "domestic hybrids", not Rock Doves, even the ones that retain the original colouring.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

definatly not an aylesbury - they are massive things i used to have some and they were bigger than my chinese geese!

think you`ll find some numpty has got bored of their easter duckling when it got all stinky and has lobbed it on the local lake/pond.
happens a lot.

the one in the mixed flock piccie posted up probly had similar origins - the whites look like they have pekin blood in them and the black one with the white neck ring looks like the offspring from a swedish blue duck.

all domestics are line bred sports of mallards anyhows.


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