Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: orchidpoet on March 16, 2020, 12:37:38 AM

Title: Mallards with Rare Colors?
Post by: orchidpoet on March 16, 2020, 12:37:38 AM

I photographed a mallard with a purple head.

Then I looked it up. There is an entry under Rare Blue Headed Mallard: https://feederwatch.org/community/participant-photo/rare-blue-headed-mallard

To me, this mallard is just as purple as mine.

Is purple headed mallard rare?

I will post my photo later when I get to convert it from RAW.

Title: Re: Mallards with Rare Colors?
Post by: Paul O'Toole on March 16, 2020, 05:52:19 AM

A couple of things, in some cases depending on the angle that the sunlight hits its head and the angle you it at can make the colour look more purplish than normal. Secondly mallards are a species that interbreeds with domestic ducks and this will produce odd and strange looking plumages as well.

Title: Re: Mallards with Rare Colors?
Post by: orchidpoet on March 16, 2020, 04:39:15 PM

Paul, thank you for your comments. I see what you mean.

I have another mallard which is blue on the top and green in the lower part of the head: https://charline.pixels.com/featured/mallard-in-flight-charline-xia.html


Here is the purple headed one. When it reflects the sun, instead of shining with glass bottle green, it shines in purple. One cannot miss it.
https://charline.pixels.com/featured/purple-headed-mallard-rare-duck-charline-xia.html