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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by andyarct
Published on Project Noah
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40.8577, -124.095

Field Notes

Description:

I only saw these (Ducks? Geese? Hybrids?) once, for a very brief time, and from pretty far away, but I can't find an I.D, match anywhere! Please help me identify these strange-looking, yet beautiful birds! They flew onto a brackish pond & hung out for a little while, then moved on.

Species ID Suggestions

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschata

Reference Link
ForestDragon
3

Comments (3)
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Read this article about Muscovy Ducks and hybrids (Muscovy x Mallard = Mulard, or Mule Duck) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovy_Duck
andyarct
Thanks ForestDragon...I thought they might be Muscoveys, but I was really hoping they were a wild species I'd never heard of before. But, I think you're right, though they do look quite different than any other Muscoveys I've seen. Do they vary that much? The others have all had dark bodies, and looked a lot more like total freaks!
ForestDragon
Muscovy Ducks are often domesticated and found on farms and such. They sometimes escape or are released when people don't want them any more. They are quite large, for ducks. These two look like the domestic variety but they might be feral.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
California Coastal Wildlife Watch
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 13, 2012

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