>
> >2) Mallard-type domestic ducks. These birds were dark iridescent green
> >from head to tail. I have seen lots of domestic ducks, and have never been
> >particularly taken with them, but these were lovely! Does anyone know what
> >variety/breed these are, and where they come from?
>
> I'm sure these must be Mallards, as they are the right shape and have
> yellow bills and a nice "duck tail." I saw some in the same place, and
> there are also several at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park in Vancouver that you
> can see at close range (any Vancouver tweeter know anything more about
> them?). When I showed a slide of one to a bird class the other night,
> everyone gasped, so I take it most people haven't seen these birds. I
> don't think I ever saw them before last winter. Some waterfowl breeder has
> come up with a pretty neat bird; they *are* spectacular. Maybe Chuck
> Pilling would know something about it. I haven't seen any female similarly
> colored, and, in fact, I don't think I even saw any females associating
> with the ones I've seen. It would be interesting to check that out with

These dark green Mallards are called Cayugas. Pure Cayugas are all dark,
with a green gloss all over. Cayugas will sometimes have white breasts,
especially feral ones (Bowlsby and Bowlsby 1994. Duck hybrids and variants
in Greater Vancouver. Discovery 23:3-8).

Al Jaramillo
jaramill at sfu.ca