# Duck ID Question



## JonnyVance (Sep 30, 2007)

I've never see a duck that looks like this before, my brother shot it this morning and I was thinking that it might be a black duck but i'm a bit unsure. The wings have no color on them, they are just dark in color. If anyone can help me ID the bird it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## MrSafety (Feb 22, 2005)

Appears to be a hen gadwall..........


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## JonnyVance (Sep 30, 2007)

Well if that is the case I sure feel like a dumb ***! I guess this emoticon should fit myself. :withstupid: But instead of saying i'm with stupid I wish the sign said I AM STUPID. Thanks


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## JonnyVance (Sep 30, 2007)

The thing that kept me from thinking it was a black duck was there was really no purple on the wings and the bill didn't fit the color of a black duck


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## ILandy (Aug 10, 2003)

It is a Drake Gadwall. A hen looks much like a hen mallard.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

Naw, that's a gadwall. Black ducks are very dark. Even more so than a hen mallard. They are big though. Blacks are mallard size, and often fly and feed with mallards in areas where both species occur. Further east (East coast) they are generally found in pure flocks that are smaller in size than mallards. Even in flight at high altitude, blacks are easy to pick out from mallardies. Black bodies and flashing white/silver underwings.
I don't know if many black ducks pass through or breed in ND. More of an eastern duck.
Good luck,
Dan


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## WaterfowlJunky (Mar 16, 2007)

yeah its a drake gadwall you can see the white on the breast...hens will stay brown....thats all we shoot until the mallards come down.....


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## JonnyVance (Sep 30, 2007)

My dad described a black duck to me and all he said was, does it look like it went down a chimney? Haha gotta love the older generations wisdom!


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

JonnyVance said:


> My dad described a black duck to me and all he said was, does it look like it went down a chimney? Haha gotta love the older generations wisdom!


Yea, that's about right. sooty, dark, and violate, purple wing patch. Just like a mallard except dark Some good, old, fellas call them black mallards.
Bills normally olive in the hens and drake mallard color in the drakes. Deep red/orange legs.
Good luck on the quackers,
Dan


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

Hmm, the wings should have some color to them, like this one:










This one had no brown or white?


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## huntingtim08 (Sep 17, 2004)

Yah, the definetly looks like a gaddy to me.


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## WaterfowlJunky (Mar 16, 2007)

its a young drake should have a little brown and white on its wings....its probably this years bird the beek still has alot of orange in it

by the way thats a very nice drake hunting dude....as good as they get definitely a mounter


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## JonnyVance (Sep 30, 2007)

huntingdude16 said:


> Hmm, the wings should have some color to them, like this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The upper breast and back above the wings feathers are definately the same but the wings have no sign of color to them. The bird was heavy in weight and that is why I thought is was an older bird. The under bill was very orange, the top of the bill was dark in color...almost a greyish color with orange feet. I couldn't decide if it was a black duck or a gadwall so I needed a second opinion.

Thanks


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## vscogin (Oct 31, 2007)

appears to be young gadwall...grey duck here in Louisiana


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## theodore (Nov 3, 2007)

Looking at the wings is the way to identify any duck species. Search for a site w/ wings and study it a little. Then you can be the expert.


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