This large ugly duck has turned up in our estate park. My guess is it's a hybrid between a Pekin/Aylesbury (i.e. domestic Mallard) and a Pacific Black Duck. It is domestic duck-sized.
Any thoughts?
We've had someone dump a pair of white Aylesbury ducks in the lake, which everyone loved because they were so "beautiful". I removed one and took it to a 24 hour vet just when they started nesting. (I got a lot of grief from the community for my efforts.) Anyway domestic Pekins and Aylesbury ducks are Mallards and Mallards will hybridise with Pacific Grey Ducks. This is such a problem in New Zealand that Pacific Grey Ducks are almost extinct there. Not a big problem in Oz - yet.https://ebird.org/newzealand/news/grey_ducks
Anyway if it's going to hybridise with the Grey Ducks I'd prefer to get rid of it, after appropriate community consultation of course!
Not a duck expert, but I agree a hybrid, maybe domestic escapee? Pacific Black Ducks will unfortunately breed with just about any domestic species, apparently not many “full blood” left.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Well done in the face of community opposition, a. It seems some quiet discussions to educate people about the risks of feral birds to native birds might be in order. I’ve found that presenting photos of local native birds to people who want to encourage ferals is often informative & persuasive.
Agree with you all.
It is a problem here in (Western) Australia also. One that has flown beneath the radar except in Birding circles.
Many aviary escapes/releases have become a problem for our endemics.
Yes, same here. Two male domestic mallard duck get around here, iv been looking to do somthing about them. They are extremely aggressive to other ducks.
Wimmera mally region, Vic.
It's a young muscovy. Just hasn't developed it's caruncles yet.
Arn’t Muscovys technically geese? Or am I mistaken?
Wimmera mally region, Vic.
Had not given it much thought before you mentioned it Lightuningbird. This is what came up when I googled Muscovy vs goose.
Interesting. Obviously a cut and paste, but click on the link to see the reference source. Hopefully the source is reliable?
Although we call the muscovy a duck it is technically not a duck. The muscovy is a South American waterfowl that has a body like a duck, behavaes like a goose in that it hisses rather than quacks, has a breast like a turkey, and roosters like a chicken.
https://afs.ca.uky.edu/poultry/duck
While the the link below refers to them as ducks in North America, being both wild and domestic.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Muscovy_Duck/overview
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Well. I can safely say it is not a duck. It’s own separate species? It’s realy confusing.
Wimmera mally region, Vic.