He/She It, or What?

[smdswarrior]

[mossyisland]

juvenile mallard drake. First and last time down the flyaway.

[Denduke]

With the recent preoccupation in this place, I'd say that's an old Bull Dyker...ie lost the female and the male hormones taking over or maybe if indeed a young drake (with hens bill), it's a fag... That's just an opinion, not meant to offend the closet homos around here...

[Double R 2]

It's an old hen. The bill is the cincher. Where's The Waterfowler to weigh in?!

[RedEyed Duck]

It's an old hen. The bill is the cincher.

Bingo

[mossyisland]

i am wrong

[Ordek Avci]

Found this on a legit birding site. Any of y'all ever heard of this?

Intersex Mallards

The following bird appears to be intersex, a female Mallard that is developing male characteristics. Intersexes in nature are rare but not exceptional and quite a few similar ducks can be found among internet images, though many are difficult to identify as such. Many intersex Mallards bear a striking resemblance to some Mallard hybrids, especially Mallard x Black Duck hybrids, but can often be told apart by the combination of female-type bill and extensively male-like plumage.

[mossyisland]

That is exactly what it is a intersex mallard.

http://10000birds.com/intersex-mallard-vancouver.htm

[The Waterfowler]

What RR said. It's an aged hen incapable of reproduction as it is producing both testosterone and estrogen. As he said, the orange bill is the give away. A hermaphrodite, XXY chrosomal, bird won't show orange in the bill. I've actually seen several with solid green heads.

[feather]

I know EXACTLY what that is...one dead mofo. No really I was wondering if it might be a wigeon/mallard...pretty sharp tail but I'll go with the sex mix up line too.

[Ordek Avci]

What RR said. It's an aged hen incapable of reproduction as it is producing both testosterone and estrogen. As he said, the orange bill is the give away. A hermaphrodite, XXY chrosomal, bird won't show orange in the bill. I've actually seen several with solid green heads.

The link that mossyisland posted was not the one I saw, but basically says the same thing I was thinking, and the same thing y'all are saying (RR and The Waterfowler). I have always heard the old females called "intersex" because, like our interstates leave one state for a next, these birds were "leaving" one sex for the other due to their hormone levels being out of whack. Whatever you call them, it's an oddity.

[chef]

it's a ugly son or daughter of a bitcha

[arduckslayer]

I know EXACTLY what that is...one dead mofo. No really I was wondering if it might be a wigeon/mallard...pretty sharp tail but I'll go with the sex mix up line too.

The Waterfowler posted some pics of what a MallardxWigeon looks like. It's a beautiful bird, you should check them out. Look for his topic on the main page about hybrids and mutants.

[cwink]

I don't know about the duck.. But if my wife came home and found that thing laying on her granite counter top she would turn me from a he to a she....

[blind-ambition]

I killed a duck that looks identical to this one several years ago. I have always figure it was a wigeon - mallard cross. It has both the same characteristics of a hen and drake mallard but is alot smaller than the typical mallard. the size of the duck is the same size as a wigeon. Either way it looks good on my wall with my other ducks and critters.