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: Greg McLachlan <>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2014 17:46:08 +1000
Hi,

If anyone is interested, here's a link to a shot I took on April 2012 of
some of the strange ducks at Warriewood that Nikolas was referring to:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/boombana/7628515488/

The bird on the left had orange legs. They do appear to be somewhat of a
fixture at Warriewood as I have seen them subsequently.

Cheers,
Greg McLachlan




On Fri, Jul 4, 2014 at 4:15 PM, Jenny Stiles <>
wrote:

> 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: Re: [Birding-Aus] 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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>
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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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