Black Mallards

A wonderful day at Brigantine yesterday, just the two of us. Well, just the three of us if you count Gellert asleep in the back of the car.

Alison and I saw lots of birds, including two Hudsonian Godwits and five Snow Buntings; wonder whether they knew each other from back home in the Arctic!

As expected on a chilly November day, waterfowl were abundant. Most of the thousands of ducks out on the big pools were Northern Pintail and American Black Ducks, but looking close turned up another dozen anatid species–and plenty of birds like these.

The bird on the right here looks black-duck-ish enough, but not so the pair in front of him. To call them “hybrids” would be to oversimplify things: who can tell how many mixed pairs of mallard-like ducks are in their family tree?

Especially the drake was a very handsome bird, all chocolate brown with a beautiful bronzy nape and that elegant little duck tail.

If you’re lucky enough to see American Black Ducks with any frequency, keep an eye out; it’s the rare flock that doesn’t include at least a few of these obvious introgressants.