[mou] RE: [mnbird] Waterfowl ID, Part II

[Mike Cary]

Derek,
If I had to take a guess. I would say that they are male Mallard-Black Duck 
hybrids. If you have access to a copy of National Geographic's "Field Guide 
to the Birds of North America" you can see an artist's rendition of this 
hybrid. I have had the opportunity to see and photograph a few of these 
hybrids up close usually with groups of mallards on Lake Superior. The 
streaking patterns on the head vary dramatically  by individual leading to 
some pretty unusaul looking ducks.

Michael Cary
Superior North Shore Images
www.superiornorthshoreimages.com