birding-aus

Pacific Black Duck - Mallard hybrids

To: Greg McLachlan <>
Subject: Pacific Black Duck - Mallard hybrids
From: David Clark <>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2014 18:58:16 +1000
There is a population of Mallard-Pacific Black Duck hybrids at Goulds
Lagoon, or there was when I visited in March 2008.  There is also a small
flock of Mallard-Pacific Black Duck hybrids on Lord Howe Island.

If I remember correctly, the existence of the Goulds Lagoon hybrids was
documented in a local birding guide.

My photograph of the Goulds Lagoon hybrids is at
m("N08/","//www.flickr.com/photos/126047386");">https:

Cheers

David


On Fri, Jul 4, 2014 at 5:46 PM, Greg McLachlan <> wrote:

> 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
> >
> > 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…
> >
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> > understood as neither given nor endorsed by the University
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 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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