Hi Evelyn,
Your duck is a domesticated race of the Mallard, I believe your duck is the
black phase of what is know as Swedish Duck. Many of the mongrel ducks and
geese that one encounters are actual breeds, not just mutts.
Cheers,
Hans
Hans Holbrook
Baltimore, MD
>From: Evelyn Ralston <>
>Reply-To: Evelyn Ralston <>
>To:
>Subject: [MDOSPREY] Hains Point 11/19; dark duck
>Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:36:48 -0500
>
>My friend Jennifer Kawar and I were at Hains Point DC, today 10-11:30 am.
>The Brant was on the grass beyond the sculpture, together with several
>gulls.
>
>A number of ducks and gulls came to the edge of the water, on the
>Washington channel, to be fed by a woman and her young daughter. The ducks
>were Mallards, males and females, except (?) for one very dark duck, with
>a white patch on the breast, which we could not identify. A melanistic
>Mallard? I have posted a photo of the Brant and photos of this duck at
>http://www.pbase.com/erforthebirds
>(click on the brant thumbnail to open the gallery). I look forward to help
>with its identification.
>
>In the high grasses and small trees between the restrooms and the golf
>course there were numerous birds including house finches, a junco, a fox
>sparrow, a mockingbird, a red-bellied woodpecker. A bald eagle stopped
>briefly on one of the large trees.
>
>
>Evelyn Ralston
>Bethesda, Md
>
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