Black duck or mottled duck

[Mississippi20]

How do you tel the difference between a black duck and a mottled duck?

[Deagle]

Ok. I'll bite. How?

[Blackduck]

Black ducks are dark, have purple speculum and no white edges (leading or trailing)
Mottled birds have a bluer speculum and a trailing white edge.

Tons and tons of hybrids fwiw

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/bird ... ottled.htm

check the previous for black duck

[GulfCoast]

Go to this page, it pretty much nails it:

http://www.greglasley.net/motblk.html

[Roach]

I agree with Gulf Coast. I have that article saved for arguments sake.
The wings still fool me at times but you can see on the Mottled that each feather, especially on the back, have a border that is a lot lighter in color.
Here is a picture of a Black Duck that I just got back.

[featherworks]

Hey Roach, That duck looks familiar I see it made the trip down and back in good shape. Hope you enjoy.

Phillip

[Roach]

Yep, he's on the wall in my office.
Thanks Phillip.

[Ducks be us]

Easy...the one that taste the poopiest is the Mottled

[Copiah Creek]

Here is two Mottled Ducks ,,you can see both veiws ,,,,,on their back each feather has a light rim around it ,,,or thats what they told me

[GulfCoast]

One old timer down here told me one time: "them black duck look like someone took that old mottled duck and drowned him in burnt up motor oil." And that pretty much hits it on the head.