Yesterday I had a pair of Mallards wander up in the yard from the canal
behind the house. Every spring they begin looking for nesting areas and free
handouts. All of the sudden it dawned on me that the male mallard didn't have
the traditional white neck ring. Both male and female looked normal in every
other way. They didn't appear larger like they had been cross breeding with
domestic ducks. The males head coloration was normal as well as all other
parts of each duck. When I looked in Sibley's guide I saw no mention of young
drakes lacking this white ring. So my questions are: Have I really been that
non observant in the past that this is not unusual? Is it a sign of a young
drake? Or....cross breeding?
Karen Beatty
Virginia Beach,VA
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