Domestic Mallards? (1 Viewer)

[UnknownSpecies56]

Hi everyone,
I've took some pictures of some mallard at a local park. The bottom rim of the green hood on most of these birds is uneven and frayed-like. Non domestic mallards would have a sharp seam at the bottom would they not? Are these domestic mallards and is it a good rule of thumb to say that most mallards at duck park are probably domestic?

Thanks,

 

[Andy Hurley]

There is a good chance that historical local ponds and artifical lakes and gardens do have domestic or domestic hybrids. Mallards are very promiscuous and will mate with any duck in the pond. Any exotics from collections that escape and reach local parks desire to mate and as they are isolated, they choose the local Mallard be it wild or domestic in origin. Same for geese.
Your front male looks like a hybrid, but the backs ones look more like wild ones to me.
For comparison I include a photo of one of the local wild Mallard from my local patch in Germany

Also, take a look at manky-mallards website and HybridDucks for further reading.

 

[Nutcracker]

The front bird (broad white neck collar, long body) and right-handmost (grey, not red-brown breast) both have domesticated ducks in their parentage. The others are all more-or-less wild type.

 

[UnknownSpecies56]

Thanks to you both for the help.