Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Iridescent Duckie

This one will, of course, be dead simple for ya’ll to get, so he’s just a bonus birdie. But he’s so pretty!

Image shows a black duck with a white chest. His black feathers are mottled with subtle browns, giving him a tortoiseshell cat appearance. There is a lot of iridescent green along his head, back and wings, and just a hint of blue.
UFD I

I love all his colors! B about went ecstatic when I pointed him out – he likes really neato animals and isn’t afraid to show it. Great sense of wonder, that man.

This time, the duck is on brown leaves rather than green grass. He has his head tilted toward us, so we can see the green sheen in his black feathers even better.
UFD II

I’m sure this a mallard hybrid something-or-other. But you can tell me just what he is! Once you get done admiring his pretty feathers, that is.

I never see any truly oddball female ducks around, so I’m assuming they end up looking pretty much like any female mallard. Ya’ll can correct me if I’m wrong, and then I can have the fun of seeking them out. And we’re gonna have ducklings soon! So much incentive to get out along the creek.

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Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Iridescent Duckie
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3 thoughts on “Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Iridescent Duckie

  1. 1

    Yep, that’s what he is. Interesting thought about the females, I’m suspecting that some of the hybrids you see may actually be females. It’s barely even a hybrid of course: Mallards are Anas platyrhynchos while domestic ducks, other than Muscovies, are A.p. domesticus.

    I really love the iridescent feathers you see on some birds. Brewer’s Blackbirds, which are pretty common around here, have a gorgeous purple/green shimmer. Just the males, of course.

  2. 2

    But the female Brewer’s have a striking red eye and a rich chocolate color to their feathers, making a cute contrast to the males with the bright yellow beady eyes. I haven’t seen one in years, which is a bummer.

    Aside from mallards, invasive starlings, and anna’s hummingbirds, iridescence isn’t easy to see in the sprawl around here.

  3. 3

    I shall have to look at the female Brewer’s next time I see some. The unfortunate thing about them is that they usually seem to be in mixed flocks with brown-headed cowbirds.

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