Saturday, January 28, 2012

Black Duck/Camera Critters

 American black duck - note greenish bill

This duck looks a lot like a mallard, don't you agree? It's certainly not "black" as it's name implies. But if you see black ducks with mallards they truly are a few shades darker brown. And this one was hanging out with mallards. (They frequently mate with them too, but their ducklings are sterile.)

The green bill is one telltale sign and the...

Note pinkish feathers

pink feathers on the wing (instead of blue) is another.

To join in the fun, visit Misty Dawn at CAMERA CRITTERS 

24 comments:

Jill said...

Pink feathers? I love that!
These are beautiful shots. The reflection of the duck in the water is perfection.

eileeninmd said...

Great post on the Black ducks. Your photos are beautiful.

Kate said...

The reflection and the pink feathers make the photos very interesting and fun to view!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Thanks for the ID lesson. It's the subtle differences one needs to look for.

MadSnapper said...

love that green bill and the reflections is green and beautiful. a first for me and I like these ducks.

TexWisGirl said...

the pink is certainly interesting!

Kathy said...

Such interesting quack facks! Who woulda believed that a brown duck could have pink feathers!

Stephanie said...

Nice note on the pinkish feathers. Who knew? Nice ones of these fine feathered friends.

Lowell said...

Black ducks and mallards must be two different species like horses and donkeys...they can mate but their offspring is sterile.

So why do you think they're called "black" ducks when they're not black?

RedPat said...

Good eye EG!

Gillian Olson said...

I don't think I have ever noticed these before, but maybe I am not looking carefully enough.

VioletSky said...

Thank you for this - I have seen these guys on occasion and wondered about the different colouring.

George said...

Thanks for the education. I am not aware of seeing a Black Duck before, but I'll keep a closer lookout the next time I see what I think are Mallards.

Randy said...

I wonder if she flew in just to get her feathers dyed.

Jack said...

You are such a knowledgeable bird observer, EG. Thanks for today's lesson.

Anonymous said...

That's a happy looking duck!

Darla said...

I always learn something from your descriptions of your nature photos. This shot is So Clear!

Darla

Anonymous said...

Great pix and some facts I had no idea about -- thanks for sharing them.

Raine said...

Seeing the pink feather was a surprise there. The somewhat burnt brown is striking. Great nature lesson. My CC post.

KB said...

Beautiful.

My CC pic is up too.

Saun said...

Well I learned something today. Pink feathers and a green bill. Love the reflection.

Pat Tillett said...

Nice pics! I love ducks!

Tatjana Parkacheva said...

Beautiful photos.

Regards ad best wishes

Betty Manousos said...

wow, each of these is just beautiful!

i also like the reflections in the first shot.

have a happy week ahead!

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.