Black x Mottled

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:28 PM

Is there a definitive way to distinguish a black / mottled hybrid? if not what do you look for?

This duck:
1. black flecked throat patch
2. wing patch is more purple than green but has a white bar
3. much different and darker body feathers and forewing feathers.

Thoughts? Squatty, Bogster, RH, any others experts I may have left out, any others who just want to post on a thread?

**ClemsnHntr** · 12-19-2012, 08:31 PM

That wing picture you have, the bird on the left is a mottled and the one on the right is a black, just the same the 2 ducks on the tailgate, the duck on top is a black, and the bottom is a mottled.

**GobblerHntr** · 12-19-2012, 08:31 PM

Here we go!

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:33 PM

Squatty, how about share some insight rather than be a comedian.

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:36 PM

all the same 2 ducks. my question is whether this "black" is a hybrid or a true black. I think hybrid but am humble enough to ask. a rare quality on here. I've killed a few blacks and a lot of mottleds. I'd like to know some more about distinguishing crosses.

Squatty, I could've private messaged you but then I wanted to make sure noone had forgotten in the last 24 hrs what a duck bad ass you are.

**BOGSTER** · 12-19-2012, 08:37 PM

The black is on the right in the first pic and the left in the next two. It really is simple. You hold more blacks and mottleds more than anyone on this site. I can only assume you know the difference by now. The definitive way to tell is in the throat, the shoulder, the corner of the mouth being black, the over all mottled look of the bird. I'm not trying to offend anyone, but how someone cannot see the differences in the birds is beyond me. It's like looking at a black and chocolate Labrador and not being able to tell which is which.

**BOGSTER** · 12-19-2012, 08:38 PM

Your black looks pure to me. If it does has mallard in it, it is a ways up the tree. That bird's parents were black ducks.

Rubberhead* · 12-19-2012, 08:38 PM

I think you've got a pretty pure black drake and a pretty standard mottled drake.

There's no real overlap in the breeding grounds of blacks and mottleds so a black x mottled hybrid would be very unlikely.

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:40 PM

Bogster, let me rephrase. If this "black" was a "hybrid", how would one tell. the white bar as well as most blacks I've seen or way blacker with no lighter color at all in the body feathers.

**GobblerHntr** · 12-19-2012, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by drwilly

Squatty, how about share some insight rather than be a comedian.

I'm not being a comedian. I've been in this discussion for several years and there's enough material on this website to write a Thesis on the subject.

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:41 PM

RH, so an "in between" would be a mallard black cross or a mallard mottled cross as opposed to a black / mottled cross?

**GobblerHntr** · 12-19-2012, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by drwilly

the white bar as well as most blacks I've seen or way blacker with no lighter color at all in the body feathers.

This is not an indicator of anything! Unless you have a leading and trailing white wing bar.

This has been discussed and is on the website if you search for it.

Rubberhead* · 12-19-2012, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by drwilly

RH, so an "in between" would be a mallard black cross or a mallard mottled cross as opposed to a black / mottled cross?

Yeap. Local mottleds getting knocked-up by left-over release ducks. And, blacks hens usually getting raped by Eastern mallards.

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by squatty

This is not an indicator of anything! Unless you have a leading and trailing white wing bar.

This has been discussed and is on the website if you search for it.

If everyone were as snide and cynical as you are Mr. professed God fearing man as you are about ducks, this world would be a crappy place and no one would ever learn anything.

I wanted to ask a question and had some pics that made it easier. I'm not interested in "researching" scducks. Believe it or not some people actually like looking at duck pics on here (of any size) regardless of your constantly being an ass.

**drwilly** · 12-19-2012, 08:49 PM

Thanks RH. that makes sense

Rubberhead* · 12-19-2012, 08:49 PM

Notice too that black drakes do not have any buff in the secondard coverts (where the blue on a blue-wing is). Mottled drakes and hens and black hens have a buff edging in these feathers. Your black has clean, dark shoulder feathers.

**BOGSTER** · 12-19-2012, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by drwilly

Bogster, let me rephrase. If this "black" was a "hybrid", how would one tell. the white bar as well as most blacks I've seen or way blacker with no lighter color at all in the body feathers.

Once a mallard hybrid breeds with any other species in the complex, it's hybridization becomes diluted down the line, and the offspring take on most of the characteristics of the species most bred with. For example: a mallard and black duck breed. Their offspring will be a blend of the two, but more mottled/black will show over mallard characteristics every time....I don't know why, but you never see a hybrid that looks mostly like a mallard. Anyway, the F1 hybrid breeds with a true hen black/mottled. Those F2 offspring will look almost completely black/mottled, except for minuscule green feathers on the birds head, or other really faint characteristics. JABIII had a really good photo of a F2-F3 hybrid years back. Looked just like a black duck, but had very pronounced white bars above and below the speculum. The mallard genes can be bred out within a few generations, atleast to the naked eye. Hope this helps.

**GobblerHntr** · 12-19-2012, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by drwilly

If everyone were as snide and cynical as you are Mr. professed God fearing man as you are about ducks, this world would be a crappy place and no one would ever learn anything.

I wanted to ask a question and had some pics that made it easier. I'm not interested in "researching" scducks. Believe it or not some people actually like looking at duck pics on here (of any size) regardless of your constantly being an ass.

fair enough!

The subject has been beat to death! It's getting old and frustrating because we go through this every year. Nothing against you personally.