Waterfowl hybridize more than any other type of bird, and Mallards are some of the most prolific when it comes to this behavior. I saw this bird yesterday, and was confused (for a while) about whether it was a Mallard/American Black Duck hybrid or just an immature/nonbreeding male.
![](https://mattcrandall.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMGP6257-2021-04-06-CVNP-Ira-Road-Beaver-Marsh-hybrid-with-mallard-1680px-1024x706.jpg)
But then he stretched his wings out and I got a clear view of the speculum patch, which was bordered with white: a sure sign of a Mallard and not an American Black Duck, and thus this bird was not a hybrid after all.
![](https://mattcrandall.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMGP-2021-04-06-CVNP-Ira-Road-Beaver-Marsh-hybrid-with-Mallard-1680px-1024x706.jpg)