| Mallards at Fairmount Park |
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Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos,
hybridize, or are crossbred, with other species of ducks, resulting in some strange looking critters! These are the true mallards, male with the green head: 
Males have curled up tail feathers: 
Females are brownish with colored patches under the wings. 
Other males: 
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The plumage of non-breeding males resembles that of females. Female's head is a light tan. The beak is orange, where the male's beak is yellowish. Click on the photograph below to open to a larger view in a new tab. In the new Tab, click on the photograph to switch between fit-to-screen, and full size, where you can scroll around to look at details and see the orange beak of the females. The third pair from the left show both male and female.
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The mallard below is probably a crossbreed.
It is a male -- curled up tail feathers and green head -- with a crest: 
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| "The Crested duck is a medium-weight, dual-purpose breed of domestic duck. Exact origin of the Crested duck is unknown, but they have been around since before the 1600s. They were portrayed in Dutch painting around the seventeenth Century. The breed probably originates in the East Indies, with subsequent development in Europe. And it was probably brought to Europe form East Indies by Dutch ships. The Crested duck is truly striking with the powder puff of feathers on it's head. The breed has such appearance because it is heterozygous for a genetic mutation causing a deformity of the skull." Crested Duck Reference |
Another beautiful crest.
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