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Anas platyrhynchos / Anas platyrhynchos domesticus
Adult Pekin ducks weigh between 8 and 11 pounds (3.6 and 5 kilograms) in captivity. They are characterized by a yellow bill and creamy white plumage, with orange shanks and toes. The ducks have an upright carriage and a peculiarly upturned rump. Their plumage is mostly white sometimes with a yellowish tinge. This is more obvious with ducks that have been reared indoors and not exposed to sunlight. The ducks have a more upright stance than dabbling ducks, and possess an upturned rump. When young it is difficult to determine the gender of the duck; when older the male ducks acquire a curled tail feather. PS: Mallards do interbreed with other bird species, including the Australian black duck, and this pairing can result in pale hybrids. There is a considerable amount of information about interbreeding and "genetic pollution" at the Wikipedia link.
This pond was situated in remnant eucalyptus woodland on the campus of Griffith University, Mt. Gravatt, which is adjacent to the Mt. Gravatt Conservation Reserve.
My spotting was accompanied by a brown female northern mallard (anas platyrhynchos) , and there were also a couple of Australian wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata), and a peewee (Grallina cyanoleuca).
Spotted on Jan 5, 2020
Submitted on Jan 11, 2020
2 Comments
Ah, yes, thank you. I've gone round and round in circles and have reinvented the wheel. I got everything right except for the common name. Got sidetracked by one of the blogs I read and headed down the hybrid path. Cheers, Single D.
From the photos that I have of this duck, I thought is was a Pekin Duck. I enjoy watching them on the pond where I see them. Great photo. https://www.beautyofbirds.com/pekinducks...