1/10, 3 guns public

[SpitinImage]

Good killin dj!

[GobblerHntr]

Ok Ok Ok

Y'all got this fella on the Mottled Ducks and apparently the GW didn't know his ducks either. Shocking yes I know.

But this......

It takes 4 years for a bufflehead drake to reach maturity and have that nice plumage. you're seeing drakes just not pretty ones.

This needs some explaining!

Chop Chop!

[duckjunkie85]

Good hunt, but Bog's right. You did get lucky with that extra mottled duck. Did you just not get checked at all?

Yea he was waiting at the landing


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[AH HOLY]

I'm no duck ID expert, but the chart he showed to tell them apart doesn't really apply to the picture. Does the beak color change? They all look like hen mallards that were shot up.

[rodandgun83]

I had to look and see if I was on Facebook.

[BOGSTER]

It takes 4 years for a bufflehead drake to reach maturity and have that nice plumage. you're seeing drakes just not pretty ones.

If that were true, you would see "in between" plumage on them much like you do a drake shoveler.

[GobblerHntr]

I had to look and see if I was on Facebook.

it's the new Facebook

[Catdaddy]

I think I see a little bit of green on that bottom ducks head.

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[GobblerHntr]

If that were true, you would see "in between" plumage on them much like you do a drake shoveler.

the "in between" you speak of is because of the time it take a drake shoveler to lose it's eclipse plumage. The bufflehead's deal is a bit different........

I'm still wanting to know who told this dude 4 years ..........

Chop Chop

[BOGSTER]

the "in between" you speak of is because of the time it take a drake shoveler to lose it's eclipse plumage. The bufflehead's deal is a bit different........

I am aware.

[DRDUCK]

Stick to fishin BW. You got your spanish down yet? Si

[AH HOLY]

Bog... Care to answer my question. Just trying to gain a little ID knowledge.

[Gone South]

I'm no duck ID expert, but the chart he showed to tell them apart doesn't really apply to the picture. Does the beak color change? They all look like hen mallards that were shot up.

Yeah the bills are all different. The white, black and speculum color is different. Darkness of the body feathers and the streak around the eyes are a few differences. Mallard hen has a nice orange and brown bill.

[BOGSTER]

I'm no duck ID expert, but the chart he showed to tell them apart doesn't really apply to the picture. Does the beak color change? They all look like hen mallards that were shot up.

There are a few characteristics that are easily seen in the photo, but I just happened to notice the feather pattern on the shoulder, just above the coverts.

Take a minute to look at the wings of adult hen mallards vs mottleds and blacks, you will see the noticable distinctions between the 3.

[Griffin]

Yeah the bills are all different. The white, black and speculum color is different. Darkness of the body feathers and the streak around the eyes are a few differences. Mallard hen has a nice orange and brown bill.

nope. I thought we had moved past all this guess not

[AH HOLY]

Thank you. It would probably be a little easier to have bird in hand rather than a picture of waterlogged birds.

[GobblerHntr]

Bog... Care to answer my question. Just trying to gain a little ID knowledge.

I'm not Bog but I'll try to answer but I must say I don't really understand your question.

There's two "color" variations of a Mottled Duck's bill (beak as you said).

The Drake's is one color and the Hen's is the other. Drakes bill is the yellow color, same as the drake mallard and same really as Black Ducks. The hen's is more a olive color I guess you could say. Here's 2 pics of a drake and a hen for reference.

[Cutm jack]

the "in between" you speak of is because of the time it take a drake shoveler to lose it's eclipse plumage. The bufflehead's deal is a bit different........



I'm still wanting to know who told this dude 4 years ..........



Chop Chop

Just talked to my biologist friend and he said three years. My mistake.

[GobblerHntr]

tell your biologist friend he or she needs to go back to school or ask for a refund. He or she is still incorrect.

[adk]

Hen mallard, for reference