Strange Duck, Scorned
I thought I could identify any Michigan resident duck, or migrant that passes through our region. But this duck and three apparent females that traveled with him stumped me.
A lot of bird "experts" converge on Magee Marsh during Spring migration, so I asked several of them to help ID this bird. Their answers were imaginative and ...well, inconclusive.
Some of their answers: "It's a freak of Nature," "It's a 10 cent Mallard", "Domestic ducks,escaped from home", "It's hybrid of unknown origin", "I don't know, ask the guy with the big camera". (He didn't know either.)
I assume it was a domesticated, hybrid duck that resembles a Mallard in size and shape. (He must have decided to join the migrants). :-))
Note: Thank you Daren Rose for identifying this duck as a "Campbell Duck".
Strange Duck, Scorned
I thought I could identify any Michigan resident duck, or migrant that passes through our region. But this duck and three apparent females that traveled with him stumped me.
A lot of bird "experts" converge on Magee Marsh during Spring migration, so I asked several of them to help ID this bird. Their answers were imaginative and ...well, inconclusive.
Some of their answers: "It's a freak of Nature," "It's a 10 cent Mallard", "Domestic ducks,escaped from home", "It's hybrid of unknown origin", "I don't know, ask the guy with the big camera". (He didn't know either.)
I assume it was a domesticated, hybrid duck that resembles a Mallard in size and shape. (He must have decided to join the migrants). :-))
Note: Thank you Daren Rose for identifying this duck as a "Campbell Duck".