birding-aus

Pacific Black Duck - Mallard hybrids

To: "Nikolas Haass" <>, "Peter Menkhorst" <>, "'Mike Carter'" <>, "'Jim Tate'" <>, "'Kev Lobotomi'" <>, "'RussellWoodford'" <>, <>
Subject: Pacific Black Duck - Mallard hybrids
From: "Jenny Stiles" <>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2014 16:15:38 +1000
Hi,
We saw an adult Pacific Black Duck hybrid at Warriewood Wetlands on the 4th May 2014. I do have some fairly poor photos as the duck swam away as some children on bikes disturbed all the birds just as we noticed the duck.
From Jenny Stiles



-----Original Message----- From: Nikolas Haass
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2014 2:32 PM
To: Nikolas Haass ; Peter Menkhorst ; 'Mike Carter' ; 'Jim Tate' ; 'Kev Lobotomi' ; 'RussellWoodford' ;
Subject: Pacific Black Duck - Mallard hybrids

O.K. Here we go: On the 27th July 2008 I saw a female Pacific Black Duck x
Mallard hybrid with 9 downy chicks (i.e. F2 generation; don't know who the
father was though) at Warriewood. I hope that we have photos.

Nikolas

A/Prof Nikolas Haass | Head, Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group

The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute
Level 6 | Translational Research Institute | 37 Kent Street |
Woolloongabba QLD 4102

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On 4/07/14 2:22 PM, "Nikolas Haass" <> wrote:

Hi Peter & Mike,

That's interesting. I am pretty sure that I had 'classic' Pacific Black
Duck x Mallard hybrids at Warriewood (Sydney) a few years ago. Will check
if I have documentation.

Best wishes,

Nikolas



A/Prof Nikolas Haass | Head, Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group

The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute
Level 6 | Translational Research Institute | 37 Kent Street |
Woolloongabba QLD 4102

T: +61 (0)7 3443 7087 | M: +61 (0)424 603 579
F: +61 (0)7 3443 6966
E:   | W: www.di.uq.edu.au <http://www.di.uq.edu.au/>

<http://www.di.uq.edu.au/>
...Turning scientific discoveries into better treatments…

CRICOS Code 00025B

This email is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private or
confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, you must
take no action based on it, nor show a copy to anyone. Kindly notify the
sender by reply email. Opinions and information in this email which do not
relate to the official business of The University of Queensland shall be
understood as neither given nor endorsed by the University






On 4/07/14 1:03 PM, "Peter Menkhorst" <> wrote:

Hello all
I think we need to be careful in assuming that orange legs and feet on
Pacific Black Ducks indicate hybridisation with Mallards. Brighter orange
legs is an indication of breeding condition in Black Ducks so we need to
consider other morphological indicators of hybridisation such as:

♂ has curled central tail feathers and variable white feathers in tail,
reduced facial stripes, warmer tones to breast feathers, the suggestion
of a
pale collar (not white) and orange-yellow legs and feet. ♀ resembles an
abnormally dark ♀ mallard with orange-yellow legs and feet.

As Mike says, feral Mallards are very rare in Australia and confirmed
hybrids are almost unknown, in contrast to New Zealand where
hybridisation
is of real concern.

Peter Menkhorst

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Carter 
Sent: Friday, 4 July 2014 12:30 PM
To: Nikolas Haass; Jim Tate; Kev Lobotomi; Russell Woodford;

Cc: Peter Menkhorst
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Duck

A rather late entry to this debate. I have no doubt that Russell's bird
was
of feral origin, a hybrid farm-yard type duck.

But the increasing occurrence of bright orange feet in otherwise
'perfect'
Pacific Black Ducks south-east of Melbourne is surprising, difficult to
explain and perhaps of some concern. Not so long ago I would count an
orange-footed bird as a Shoveler but can no longer rely on that as an ID
feature as more Black Ducks now show it. Surprising because Pacific Black
Ducks are abundant, Mallard are extremely rare and the larger free flying
farm-yard ducks very uncommon. As an illustration I took the attached
shot
showing Black Duck with orange feet on one of our recent surveys on a
wetland SE of Melbourne. I realise that some individuals have brighter
feet
than others but it seems to me that the brightness and frequency of
orange
feet in Black Ducks is increasing.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136





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