[mp]

Hunt down in South LA. KIlled a bird this past weekend. Need help identifing. It was either a mottled or black duck. It was a hen with the colors of a mallard, maybe a little darker. The bill was orangish with black specks and the wings had no speculum or white bands. The wing had the same colors as the rest of the bird. What is this?? Thanks

 

[quackkiller]

I'm not 100% sure but I'm gonna go with a mottled duck. Especially since you are in LA. That is a prime place for mottles, they mainly winter in that area around the gulf coast area. Go to www.duckcentral.com and then go to waterfowl ID. Hope this helps you out! :salude:

 

[BigBirds]

If the color on the wind is green with a white stripe it is a mottle, if it is blueish purple with no whit it is a black duck

 

[marsh1buster]

Mottled ducks have a solid color bill usually greenish in color. If it had black specks on it's bill it was not a mottled. Black ducks usually look more like mallard hens but a little darker, like your descripion said, that would be my guess.

 

[pbramble]

released hen mallards often have orange/yellow bills with dark splotches on them, was it tagged or toe-clipped?

 

[ol' yeller]

I agree with quackkiller. Mostly because of where you shot it. Who knows. I shot a black bellied whistling duck in NW Arkansas last Friday so anything is possible.

yeller

 

[Drake1]

I would have to say it may have been a hen mallard with a variation in color. Possibly a juvenile hen-resulting in the darker coloration. Black ducks do have a speculum on the wing but it's not as bright as that of a hen mallard. Blacks also often have yellowisn to an olive color bill and legs. This is the most popular puddler in my area on the saly marsh next to the gadwall. Hope i helped....Good hunting.........

 

[Mallyard]

I shot a banded hen gadwall this year, and she had lots of blotches on her bill, probably from being released like the others said.

Mallyard