Queensland is currently reviewing a large number of bird species, Mallard is one of these. All individuals who have listed option 1 below have been asked to review their sighting. Individuals have been asked to provide notes on why they
believe the bird is pure form and not domesticated or if in fact domesticated to change their sighting to option 2. The review is our attempt to make the data provided by eBird in Queensland more accurate. A goal I believe all bird watchers strive to provide.
Interestingly, of all the requests made so far and replied to by bird watchers 90% have confirmed that in fact the bird in question was domesticated and that they did not realise that they had the three options to choose from or that they
did not understand the difference between the options.
Yes, we can select three options in Australia for Mallards:
Option 1:“Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard”;
Option 2: “Anas platyrhynchos (Domestic type) - Mallard (Domestic type)” and;
Option 3: The hybrid between Mallard and Pacific Black Duck – “Anas platyrhynchos x superciliosa - Mallard x Pacific Black Duck (hybrid)”.
If you select the first option, then it must show normal wild-type mallard size and wild-type phenotype. If so then use the standard “Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard)” designation. You will however need to provide a field notes/explanation
and/or photo as to why you believe this to be a wild-type bird and not a domesticated bird.
If you are unsure or have no notes for explanation then always use the second option - Anas platyrhynchos (Domestic type).
If you can identify that it is a hybrid between the Pacific Black Duck and the Mallard then use the third option - Anas platyrhynchos x superciliosa .
New Zealand eBird odes provide its members with a useful little key with ducks you suspect may be Pacific Black Ducks (Grey Ducks over there) to see if they really are pure. I have modified the table below replacing Grey Duck with Pacific
Black Duck so that bird watchers may use for this purpose in Australia.
Using the key below if your duck scores more than seven (7) it is almost certainly a hybrid Pacific Black Duck. You could put the hybrid index score in the comments column for your observation notes.
You can also use this key to look at the opposite whether the Mallard you are viewing is a hybrid or domesticated individual.
The index gives a score of 0 for the purest Pacific Black Duck and 35 for the purest Mallard.
If you select the first option, then it must show normal wild-type mallard size and wildtype phenotype. If so then use the standard “Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard)” designation. You will however need to provide a field notes/explanation and/or
photo as to why you believe this to be a wildtype bird and not a domesticated bird.
Pacific Black Duck: Two clear black stripes on a cream background - 0-1
Hybrid: Obscured face stripes - 2-3
Mallard: No face stripe to a thin black eye stripe in the female - 4-5
Speculum border – anterior
Pacific Black Duck No white bar 0-1
Hybrid Thin white bar (2 mm) 2-3
Mallard Broad white bar (5 mm) 4-5
Speculum border – posterior
Pacific Black Duck Faint white line 0-1
Hybrid Thin white bar (2 mm) 2-3
Mallard Broad white bar (5 mm) 4-5
Pacific Black Duck Slate grey 0-1
Mallard Yellow-orange 4-5
Pacific Black Duck Cream 0-1
Mallard Dark brown in female or eclipse male, varying from a dark green to a purple-green in the breeding plumage male 4-5
Pacific Black Duck Slate Grey 0-1
Mallard Creamy brown in female or eclipse male, varying from a dark green to a purple-green in the breeding male 4-5
Pacific Black Duck Grey-brown 0-1
Mallard Yellow-orange 4-5
