The Mallard
& the
Florida Mottled Duck
printable version
Interesting Facts
About the
Florida Mottled Duck
Where They are Found
The Florida mottled duck is one of a
few non-migratory ducks in North
America.
It occurs only in peninsular Florida where it is found both on the
coasts and inland. It appears to be adaptable with regard to the
habitats it uses. It has been found using wetlands and related upland
habitats associated with ponds, marshes, lakes, rivers, canals, ditches,
mosquito impoundments, and brackish and salt-water areas on the east and
west coasts.
Reproduction:
Florida mottled ducks appear to nest from February through July. The
females tend to locate their nests in dense vegetation (tall grasses,
rushes, or palmetto thickets) on the ground near water. Females
typically lay 8-10 eggs and incubate them for approximately 26 days.
Unlike such birds as the mocking bird or blue jay which raise their
young in the nest for weeks, mottled duck females will move their
ducklings to water within 24-48 hours of hatching.
Identification
The mottled duck belongs to a worldwide group of
approximately 20 species of closely related ducks called the mallard
complex. All the species in this complex have a similar body shape, but
have varying feather characteristics and coloration that allow them to
be distinguished from one another. The Florida mottled duck is easily
distinguished from a male mallard. The male mallard’s head has bright
green iridescent coloration. Separating a mottled duck from a female
mallard can be more difficult, however. The neck and head of a mottled
duck are lighter buff colored than the body feathers, whereas the female
mallard does not have this color pattern. Also, the female mallard has a
broad, white wing bar above and below the colored portion of her wing
(called the speculum). The female mottled duck lacks the upper wing bar
and has a faint lower bar. Because the plumages of male and female
mottled ducks are similar, the easiest way to tell them apart is by bill
color. The male mottled duck has an olive green to yellow solid color
bill, while the female has an orange to brown bill with dark blotches or
dots.
Dots are most prevalent on the underside of the female’s bill.
l
Mottled ducks
CONTINUE
A printable version (16" x 9") of the Mottled duck brochure is
available:
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