solid green greenhead

[Greg Franks]

I found this article in Wildfowl magazine

This viral photo of a solid green Frankenmallard crossed our desk courtesy of biologist and WILDFOWL contributor Brad Fenson, who got it from an outfitter, who got it from a little bird flying around the Internets…this supermallard would be gorgeous to see glimmering on a lake in the sun and would make a cool mount, but the question remains, is it just a nasty hybrid-domestic/muscovy inbreed from the local park that got a “Call of the Wild” urge to fly with his wild brethren into shotgun range? Or could it be a legitimate high-flying mutant mallard of true wild-bird genetics?

We’ve all seen photos of those gorgeous solid black/green rooster pheasants, and mildly mutated black/duck mallard hybrids. And dark colors are genetically dominant.
What do you think?
Have you seen a quacker like this Christmas-y freak?

The duck was allegedly killed in Dermott, Ark.

View attachment green duck.pdf

 

[Chris Finch]

that is a cool looking duck

 

[TimJ]

Funny if they got that photo from a biologist that he didn't name the breeds of ducks it could likely have in it's ancestry. It most certainly is not a mule (mallard/muscovy). It looks a lot like all the black farm ducks I have ever seen. Probably some cayuga or black east indies in it's recent background. Heck some of the smaller domestic breeds can fly a little just as they are. If they eat wild food and get more exercise no reason they couldn't keep up with wild mallards... at least for a while.

Cool duck none the less, and always interesting to see just how few generations it takes for domestic ducks to revert to wild activities when crossed back to wild mallards. I know melanistic animals can and do show up naturally but since there are so many park ducks I'll take the 99% chance it's mama was popcorn feed.

Tim

 

[Al Hansen]

I agree, Tim. That is a cool duck and has to be a great conversation starter especially if it was hanging in a guide's hunting camp. I wonder what went through the shooter's mind as he held it in the blind?
Al

 

[tod osier]

Funny if they got that photo from a biologist that he didn't name the breeds of ducks it could likely have in it's ancestry. It most certainly is not a mule (mallard/muscovy). It looks a lot like all the black farm ducks I have ever seen. Probably some cayuga or black east indies in it's recent background. Heck some of the smaller domestic breeds can fly a little just as they are. If they eat wild food and get more exercise no reason they couldn't keep up with wild mallards... at least for a while.

Cool duck none the less, and always interesting to see just how few generations it takes for domestic ducks to revert to wild activities when crossed back to wild mallards. I know melanistic animals can and do show up naturally but since there are so many park ducks I'll take the 99% chance it's mama was popcorn feed.

Tim

yep.

 

[Ed Askew]

That's most likely a domestic duck. I've seen them at the Patrick Creek Lodge in the far north of California, just a mile or so from Oregon up in the coastal mountains. They have those very same ducks hanging around their little pond. They called them "black ducks" and told me they were a domestic variety.

Ed.

 

[tgentry]

maybe a cross with a domestic called a cayuga. do a search for images.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayuga_Duck

Trip

 

[travis bruce]

Saw it posted on a mississippi web site saying it was killed in la....

Kinda like the old george therogood song... met a german girl in england who was going to school in france, said we danced in mississippi at an alpha kapa dance... it wasn't me. travis

 

[tgentry]

I saw it posted it was killed in Bayou Meto.

 

[John Fraser]

Looks like a Cayuga.

 

[travis bruce]

2 mallards killed at the same time in arkansas this year???? that'd be almost as rare as the all green duck! travis