Pictures Weird looking Mallard - Nebraska Fish and Game Association
Nebraska Fish and Game Association  


Go Back   Nebraska Fish and Game Association > Fishing and Hunting > Nebraska Hunting Forum
Register VBay [0]ArticlesAll AlbumsBlogs FAQ NEFGA Home Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Nebraska Hunting Forum Post your pictures, share your ideas and stories, ask for advice.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-03-2009, 03:44 PM   #1 (permalink)
BoB_25 has no status.
Member
 
BoB_25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In a Cornfield
Posts: 2,444
Thanks: 138
Thanked 80 Times in 65 Posts
Default Weird looking Mallard

Went out and shot some ducks this morning with friends and ended up shooting a Mallard that looks like he crossed with a Widgeon. But after closer look, he's a really young drake.







BoB_25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 03:56 PM   #2 (permalink)
BoB_25 has no status.
Member
 
BoB_25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In a Cornfield
Posts: 2,444
Thanks: 138
Thanked 80 Times in 65 Posts
Default

Here's a pic of a Mallard Widgeon mix

BoB_25 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to BoB_25 For This Useful Post:
HuntLabs (01-11-2009)
Old 01-03-2009, 03:57 PM   #3 (permalink)
BoB_25 has no status.
Member
 
BoB_25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In a Cornfield
Posts: 2,444
Thanks: 138
Thanked 80 Times in 65 Posts
Default

Hybrid Mallards
BoB_25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 04:01 PM   #4 (permalink)
cougarw is wondering what to do next.
Member
 
cougarw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In the wild
Posts: 2,166
Thanks: 155
Thanked 185 Times in 121 Posts
Default

Cool duck either way.
cougarw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 04:40 PM   #5 (permalink)
BPbowhunter is at full draw
2007 NEFGA Outdoorsman Of The Year
 
BPbowhunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Broken Bow
Posts: 3,417
Thanks: 33
Thanked 297 Times in 209 Posts
Default

I could see a little widgeon in there, not much but those specks toward the bottom of the head look an awful lot like widgeon.
__________________
Is it duck season yet?

Whackin' Woodies Waterfowl Crew

"Look, a pair of singles!"
BPbowhunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 04:54 PM   #6 (permalink)
John is tired of winter
Member
 
John's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 281
Thanks: 23
Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts
Default

I wonder what's up with that orange bill though.
John is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 04:56 PM   #7 (permalink)
BPbowhunter is at full draw
2007 NEFGA Outdoorsman Of The Year
 
BPbowhunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Broken Bow
Posts: 3,417
Thanks: 33
Thanked 297 Times in 209 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by John View Post
I wonder what's up with that orange bill though.

I was wondering the same. It's got all the characteristics of a drake mallard in the body, then in the head it has a mix of widgeon and mallard drake, but the bill is all hen mallard.

Weird duck.
__________________
Is it duck season yet?

Whackin' Woodies Waterfowl Crew

"Look, a pair of singles!"
BPbowhunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 05:21 PM   #8 (permalink)
Alex T. is playing the ecaller to get into the mood
Member
 
Alex T.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: under the doors of a laydown blind
Certified Youth Fishing Instructor
Posts: 5,138
Thanks: 0
Thanked 533 Times in 357 Posts
Default

I'd say the bill was gonna turn yellow,the head woulda turned green but someone decided to slaughter the little guy before he had a chance. Ya big meanie.

Alex
Alex T. is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 05:48 PM   #9 (permalink)
John is tired of winter
Member
 
John's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 281
Thanks: 23
Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex T. View Post
I'd say the bill was gonna turn yellow
Alex
I'll admit I don't know a whole lot, but even the drakes we shot in Oct. had yellow bills with just little specks of green in the head. I would say it could be a shemale but,
John is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 05:51 PM   #10 (permalink)
Alex T. is playing the ecaller to get into the mood
Member
 
Alex T.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: under the doors of a laydown blind
Certified Youth Fishing Instructor
Posts: 5,138
Thanks: 0
Thanked 533 Times in 357 Posts
Default

I really don't know either...I was just trying to make him feel lower than dirt.

Alex
Alex T. is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 06:46 PM   #11 (permalink)
BoB_25 has no status.
Member
 
BoB_25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In a Cornfield
Posts: 2,444
Thanks: 138
Thanked 80 Times in 65 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex T. View Post
I really don't know either...I was just trying to make him feel lower than dirt.

Alex
I don't think it was me you better talk to a guy that's name starts with a P!
BoB_25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 10:40 PM   #12 (permalink)
marshmadness has no status.
Member
 
marshmadness's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 56
Thanks: 2
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

Good chance you got a hermie there...cool bird.
marshmadness is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 04:12 PM   #13 (permalink)
Patrick Olson has no status.
Member
 
Patrick Olson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Omaha/Lincoln
Posts: 417
Thanks: 8
Thanked 116 Times in 42 Posts
Default

It is probably 100% hen mallard, but you would have to check to vent to make sure. It has no hybrid in it, speculum is the dead giveaway.

Hens will express drake plumage when female hormones like progesterone and estrogen are overruled by basal expression of the dominant male hormone testosterone.

It is basically a hen that has messed up hormones. We usually shoot a few each year.

The beak and feet (soft skin) are the least sensitive to hormonal regulation. Which is why we still see the hen beak and it has not changed (and why, as John pointed out, they do not fluctuated during independent hormonal regulation that causes molting, and why it is the way to ID eclipse drake mallards). It is why the beak is one of the most important characteristics used for identification. If you would have compared the beak length of the hen to a drake you would have found that the hen had a slightly smaller beak.

Another side point, everyone refers to drakes with crappy plumage late in the year as young drakes. While that is true to an extent with the very late hatches, it is more than likely because of genetic reasons rather than the drake simply being too young. The regulation of plumage is highly variable, not just because the bird is young. I.e. crappy plumage is just because of inferior genetics and not because the bird is simply young.

PO
Patrick Olson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 04:53 PM   #14 (permalink)
BoB_25 has no status.
Member
 
BoB_25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In a Cornfield
Posts: 2,444
Thanks: 138
Thanked 80 Times in 65 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Olson View Post
It is basically a hen that has messed up hormones. We usually shoot a few each year.PO
PO, do you have pictures of the one you shot?
BoB_25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.1.0
Nebraska Fish and Game Association