Subject: [Tweeters] Odd Mallards
Date: Mon Oct 26 17:56:13 PDT 2020
From: J Christian Kessler - 1northraven at gmail.com

I have seen 2 or 3 Mallards in the Yesler Swamp cove in what looks much
like male plumage except for white breasts where the males are rust
colored, while the sides were russet instead, plus a few other details
differing. this last summer one of them was escorting a fleet of ducklings
in the normal maternal way. and all 3 seemed paired with normal plumage
males, so I just assumed each was an older female showing the hormonal
effects of being older. "intersex" seems sort of odd nomenclature, but
I've never known what the corrct term was before.

Chris Kessler

On Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 2:34 PM Jeffrey Bryant <jbryant_68 at yahoo.com> wrote:


> Keith,

> The second picture looks just like an intersex Mallard I had last year in

> western Washington. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53393579

> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53393579> It's apparently rare but

> regular, particularly in ducks, and particularly in Mallards. The research

> on this phenomenon is not extensive, unfortunately, but I do recall pulling

> up an article last year positing that as females age, their estrogen levels

> drop, and the testosterone that remains directs the body to produce the

> default male characteristics. At least some of these birds are still

> capable of female reproduction.

> Can't dig up that article, but this site has some nice pics of intersex

> ducks:

> https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/intersex-ducks

>

> Jeff Bryant

> Seattle

> jbryant_68 at yahoo

>

> Sent from my iPad

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