It appears the Mallard will mate with any other duck. I remember when I
was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist in the Sacramento Valley from
l956-60. We had to wings from umpteen ducks for a study that was being
conducted nationwide to determine harvest of ducks by hunters by
species, age and sex. I found duck clubs (of which there were quite a
few wealthy ones) in the Valley as a good source of wings. Had no
trouble with clubs because I was a biologist not a game warden. Would be
invited in for coffee and pie. Anyways, I would see the darndest
collection of oddball hybrid ducks which the clubs would have mounted. I
don't recall all what I saw, but remember a Mallard X Goldeneye cross (
cross between subfamilies) and a Pintail X Green-winged Teal cross -
either an ambitious male Teal that preferred a an older and bigger
Pintail female or a desperate or nondiscriminating Pintail male that
preferred a sweet young thing Green-wing female. So, after a couple
hunting seasons collecting wings, I wasn't too surprised at what I saw.
Ain't nature grand!
E. Kridler
Sequim, Wa.


ggreen-winged Teal cross