Rare mallard I think?

[rides bike to work]

I took my elder grandmother for a walk around sardis pond a small urban pond and was quite surprised with the amount of wild life in the middle of an urban housing development

a pair of beavers
30 turtles
many ducks with newborn ducklings
two groups of goslings 17 in one group
And this guy first time I've seen one with these colors.
http://i58.tinypic.com/2ebe7wm.jpg

Any one seen one like this before

[rides bike to work]

It's hard to see in the pic but the head was brown with an iridescent shine .

[BuckNaked]

You can also take your kid or over 65s there to fish as well, its a great park until the geese come in and s**t up the place.

[BuckNaked]

Eclipse plumage?

[heyblast]

Too early for eclipse plumage and may be a cross with Pintail. Hard to tell the colours aren't that clear in the photo.

[BiG Boar]

Do you have other pics? Maybe the other side?

[fowl language]

do not be alarmed boys ,i have it on good authority that this particular duck is a colour phase mallard .some from up north might refer to it as a spirit mallard. ....d

[Fred1]

do not be alarmed boys ,i have it on good authority that this particular duck is a colour phase mallard .some from up north might refer to it as a spirit mallard. ....d

Ah yes... the fabled Spirit Mallard... I thought they were lighter in plumage? I have seen a mallard like this too - strange brown head?! There was one in Polson Park in Vernon a couple of years ago - I saw it there one evening when I was trolling for my daily hit...

[Foxton Gundogs]

do not be alarmed boys ,i have it on good authority that this particular duck is a colour phase mallard .some from up north might refer to it as a spirit mallard. ....d

We must pass a law to protect them immediately.

[Fred1]

Did some searching... its a gene thing - not that uncommon apparently... Im sticking with the Spirit Mallard!

[f350ps]

I've got a few greenhead freaks in my freezer, some with noticeable widgeon and pintail influence. Some biologist from UBC is apparently coming to get them but I haven't heard from her yet! K

[heyblast]

Spirit ducks taste just as good as any other duck. :wink:

[MichelD]

Appears to be a leucistic mallad.

Leucism is an abnormal plumage condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment, particularly melanin, from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers. As a result, the birds do not have the normal, classic plumage colors listed in field guides, and instead the plumage have several color changes.


https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=831&q=leucism+mallards&oq=leucism+mallards&gs_l=img.12...2190.8510.0.9806.13.6.0.7.7.0.95.489 .6.6.0....0...1ac.1j2.45.img..7.6.483.Gss-OJ1__Tk

[moosinaround]

Brown head or green head, who gives a Duck!!! They all taste good!😉moosin