AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I was reading that on a science site

Yes just look on any given waterways

I think the black ducks are in the biggest trouble I think they may be wiped out by mallards if the govt don't take action and people stop dumping them

Hi Weston and Colacwaterfowl,

I am simply stating that this "phenotype" has appeared on more than one occasion in more than one place in Australia.

First cross hybrids tend to be quite variable in their appearance.

Even if we accept the premise that a wood duck has hybridised with a white muscovy or some other domestic breed, what we would end up within the first cross is a variety of phenotypes, some looking more like one parent, some more like the other, and others somewhere in between.

They would not look identical in size & shape & only differ in colour.

It would take many years of breeding back to the wood duck parent to get it to look like a white wood duck. This simply would not occur in the wild.

If the crosses are as common as you say, how come they have never been reported. You are right, ornithologists can not keep a constant eye on every waterway, but if hybridisation is as likely as you suggest then hybrids would have been recorded at some time in the last 200 years don't you think, given how common wood ducks are. They certainly have with the black duck.

The final evidence I have is that when the white ducks are mated to normal wood ducks, you get either white or normal wood ducks- they all do look the same size and shape ie they are consistent. They bear no resemblance to any other duck species.


As I said, I have actually seen the duck on 2 occasions- have you? If you see it first hand & still contend that it is a hybrid, then so be it.

I don't have the financial resources to do DNA fingerprinting- on normal and the white wood ducks- few private individuals would. I know of several people who have seen them and are in no doubt they are the real thing.

I don't mean to be nasty Colawaterfowl, but the overwhelming negativity about this bird is surprising. I can understand some being doubtful, but the fact that the original duckling came from a group of normally coloured siblings, with normal wood duck parents, and has gone on to mate with other wood ducks, whilst showing no interest in other domestic ducks would have been good enough to dispel the doubts.
You are right, it doesn't prove anything, but from the evidence there is nothing to support th theory that they are hybrids either.
And for the record, the term "genera" is plural for the word "genus"; Doggo's use of the term is correct

All we are simply stating is can you show us some documented evidence please.


We have never said it was a first cross???? in fact I have asked for generational history of the flock.


Well it has as per the photo I posted.


Again we are not talking about a first cross


In your opinion but not in mine as I have pointed out with the head shape


Why?


We have never said it was common at all???


No I don't think so at all, see above.


Sorry but you have not offered any evidence at all, just your typed words and thats not evidence, sorry


I don't need or want to see it, to me its as plain as a milk arrowroot biscuit and seeing a phenotype is not seeing a genotype


I don't mean to be nasty either Parvo but you offer NO evidence and you keep saying Fact well please show us evidence with these alleged facts?


The onus when creating or claiming any mutation is on the breeder as per the Australian Standards and Aviculture in general


No one said his or her use of the term was incorrect??? we all know what the term means but Ducks do not! that is what was said.

If this duck turns out to be a natural wild mutation as you say Parvo and taken from the wild as duckling illegally as you also say then these are in fact stolen wild native waterfowl that were stolen from the wild and stolen from the parents. I am totally against this type of activity and feel the authorities need to look into this to verify if they are in fact a pure "sport" australian native wood duck and how they came into captivity and are they under licence? I will make some enquiries tomorrow with the EHP Qld and see what they have to say as the one pictured is in Qld

I have no idea as to if its a pure or not but I am concerned that it may have come from the wild illegally and that needs to be looked at with the law enforcement.

I am making enquiries today I will PM you and weston what I find out

CWF, Why don't you post the result of your investigations for all to see?

You keep hounding me for evidence that it is pure, yet you provide no evidence that it is a hybrid either.

You are basing all your arguments on a photograph, and are not even prepared to see the bird for yourselves.

I fear this topic is going around in circles.
Believe what you will.
It's a free country.

No hard feelings.

I may not be able to post it if it becomes a legal investigation. I have just sent off info to them so its being looked at.

I nor anyone here has "hounded" you for evidence we simply asked you to provide it and you have not. We don't have to provide evidence its a hybrid as Western pointed out the onus is on you and those claiming its a new mutation to prove it is. I will happily see the bird if they fly it down to my place just let me know when it arrives.

Yes defiantly no hard feelings at all