Mallard male, more or less normal: greenish-yellow beak, blue-green head, lighter collar, purplish-blue speculum (next photo), black rear end. But orange tail feathers? And where are the curly tail coverts?
The edges of the tail match the orange feet. It's not a glitch in the camera's reading of colour.
A few of the other male mallards in this flock had a slight orangey tinge to their tails, but not to this extent. I've been wondering what combination of parent birds would result in this "Manky Mallard".
I have never seen orange in a mallard tail either!!! Wow, what details you see - I'm so impressed. I mean that seriously.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Very interesting, my dear Watson. Who might the mallards be hybridizing with?
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