Date: 8/10/26 7:46 am From: Steve Long <steve.long4...> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Duck ID help, Crownsville, next to Severn River
I can't answer about ebird.
In some places, Mallard hybrids are quite common, with all sorts of
strange markings. If the operators of ebird have any interest in all
about them, I SUPPOSE they would have some category for hybrid
Mallards. But sorting out what ancestry is probably not even possible.
Interestingly, in the autumn here near Oxford, I am recently seeing
large migrating flocks of Mallards that appear to be mostly if not all
pure-bred. And the large flotilla of strange looking hybrids that used
to live in our cove is now long-gone.
Steve Long, Oxford
On 8/10/2026 9:15 AM, 'Ted on Little Round Bay' via Maryland & DC
Birding wrote:
> Thanks Steve. That makes sense. Is there an appropriate ebird thing
> to register this under? I just have them down as mallards, which is
> as wrong as black ducks I suppose.
> On Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 8:57:57 PM UTC-4 Steve Long wrote:
>
> Mallards will cross-breed with both Black Ducks and Peking Ducks
> (white domestic), and cross-breeds can further cross-breed,
> generation after generation.
>
> So, it would probably take a DNA sample and a costly analysis to
> figure out exactly what ancestral combination resulted in these 2
> ducks.
>
> Steve Long
>
> On 8/9/2026 6:08 PM, 'Ted on Little Round Bay' via Maryland & DC
> Birding wrote:
>> Can I get some expert advice on this duck family in our yard? I'd
>> like to think they're mallard x black duck hybrids. There are 6
>> just hatched ducklings in the mix, and these 2 adults. What I
>> assume is the male has a white breast patch, and on what I assume
>> is the female, the speculum color is not blue, though it seems to
>> be bounded by black and not white. This is at the Severn River.
>> This time of year, I have only seen mallards. Chicks this late
>> in the season and the lack of clear mallard markings have me
>> confused. See attached photos.. Thanks for any thoughts.
>> L1023018.jpegL1023029.jpegL1023040.jpegL1023068.jpegL1023083.jpegL1023121
>> 2.jpeg --
>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the
>> Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'.
>> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this
>> group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate
>> it here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html >> ---
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the
>> Google Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
>> send an email to mdbirding+<......>
>> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/<12785dc4-8fc8-4ea6-bbb3-911497e7e3a8n...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/<12785dc4-8fc8-4ea6-bbb3-911497e7e3a8n...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
>
> --
> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'.
> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group
> on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com > Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate it
> here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html > ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to mdbirding+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/<717f8279-34b5-407a-88f7-7498fefb1149n...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/<717f8279-34b5-407a-88f7-7498fefb1149n...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
--
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'.
To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com Unfamiliar with a hotspot mentioned on this list? Quickly locate it here - http://www.mdbirding.com/hotspot.html ---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maryland & DC Birding" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mdbirding+<unsubscribe...>
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/<bd0fd2f1-936d-4592-bd94-eedd2bb1e8fa...>
