White Birds - photos and discussion

Mike Bickerdike · Post by **Mike Bickerdike** » Tue Apr 22, 2025 4:35 pm

There's a very pale mallard with white patches at Ayrlies wetlands - its been there a few months, I've seen it several times.

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Post by **Samsperdy** » Wed Apr 23, 2025 4:00 pm

I've seen a few mallards with similar pale colouring and white patches before. I don't think it's a case of leucism, I think it's most likely a hybrid or the result of crossbreeding between wild mallards and domestic varieties. These sorts of mixed plumages are pretty common in areas where domestic ducks have interbred with wild populations, eg: city parks & lakes. It’s always interesting to see how variable the patterns can be!