# Black or Mottle Duck?



## RedShad_20 (Dec 29, 2011)

Had a descent morning.  We ended the morning with 4 bufflehead, 2 bluebill and 1 Black Duck?  I have killed a few mottled duck in this location but i have never killed a black and this duck was a lot darker than any that i had ever killed. Either way it was a great hunt and the Black was a big bonus.  What is the best way to tell the 2 apart.  I thought that the wing ban should give it away but still not sure about this one.


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## florida boy (Dec 29, 2011)

black


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## trophyslayer (Dec 29, 2011)

black... a little darker then ones ive killed but black for sure..


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## trophyslayer (Dec 29, 2011)

correction... ever seen killed... i have never actually gotten one myself


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## ThunderRoad (Dec 29, 2011)

*Is it possible????*

that your dog chews more than mine? I am loving that kennel entrance. Looks like he opened it up a little


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## southgabowhunter (Dec 29, 2011)

Black


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## Larry Young Jr (Dec 29, 2011)

Black


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## GABASSMAN (Dec 29, 2011)

I thought I heard of a black being killed... Congrats. I think someone else killed one also.


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## 67chevyjr (Dec 29, 2011)

Looks like you a had a great hunt. You gonna get the black mounted?


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## mcarge (Dec 29, 2011)

Looks like a black to me


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## steveus (Dec 30, 2011)

Mottled duck.  Black duck has no white line below black line on speculum, lighter brown body than a black, but darker than a hen mallard. My mounted black ducks are much darker bodied. Of course, sometimes pics don't show colors exactly right, but my opinion is mottled.


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## kontekontos (Dec 30, 2011)

*q*

I would have to say a mottled duck as well...because of the white in the speculum and because the speculum is more a blue color where as the black duck has a more of purplish speculum.....


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## Triple BB (Dec 30, 2011)

black duck for sure. that aint no summer mallard/mottled duck. just shot a lot of mottleds and hey are a touch lighter than a black and have more of a greener speculum


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## ugabulldog56 (Dec 31, 2011)

Good info here to tell the difference.     http://www.georgiawaterfowler.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=9940&hilit=black+duck


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## Gut_Pile (Dec 31, 2011)

That is a mottled duck


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## MudDucker (Dec 31, 2011)

mottle


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## USMC0844 (Dec 31, 2011)

black


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## Gofish206 (Dec 31, 2011)

Wow!! Anybody that can use google can tell that's a drake mottle!!


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## Mark K (Jan 1, 2012)

If it's a mottle duck, then it means that all those that say it's a black actually have shot a mottle!! Based on the pics provided, I'ld go with mottle also. The blue speculum and the white edge sorta give it away.


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## Turkey Trax (Jan 1, 2012)

Hard to tell from these crappy pics. I see the white y'all are talking about but I'm not sure it's not just light reflecting off something. But if it is a white line then I'd definitely say mottled.


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## gunsmoke32 (Jan 1, 2012)

It is a drake mottled.


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## Triple BB (Jan 1, 2012)

the first pic got me confused but 8i can now see that the duck looked a darker shade of black because it was wet. looks like a mottled duck killed out of Rhett's


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## Birdfinder (Jan 1, 2012)

Mottled


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## Larry Young Jr (Jan 1, 2012)

1 pic looks like a Mottled cause the bill is orange and 1 pic looks like a black the bill is olive. Now the color is dark because it wet and looks slimey from a dog chewing on it. So cant tell by the color. The other pic you cant tell because it looks like both. Both birds I have seen have white at the end of the purple blue color.  Now I am not a Pro on this bird.  I would like to see a better Pic.


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## crowe1187 (Jan 1, 2012)

Mottled, some of yall need to do some research on identifying characteristics. They normally involve colors leading or following the speculum, bill shape, etc. The main feature you look for to tell mottled from black is the white below the speculum.


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## The Fever (Jan 1, 2012)

harlequin


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## Larry Young Jr (Jan 1, 2012)

crowe1187 said:


> Mottled, some of yall need to do some research on identifying characteristics. They normally involve colors leading or following the speculum, bill shape, etc. The main feature you look for to tell mottled from black is the white below the speculum.



There you Go. The research as it. Good Job.


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## rholton (Jan 2, 2012)

Mottled. People claim black ducks out of Rhetts all the time, but 99% are mottled ducks. Mottled ducks can be light in color, but can also be almost as dark as a blck duck. Most people just dont know the difference. See them all the time down there. Still a trophy none the less. Nice drake motteld duck.


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## Boudreaux (Jan 2, 2012)

steveus said:


> Mottled duck.  Black duck has no white line below black line on speculum, lighter brown body than a black, but darker than a hen mallard. My mounted black ducks are much darker bodied. Of course, sometimes pics don't show colors exactly right, but my opinion is mottled.





kontekontos said:


> I would have to say a mottled duck as well...because of the white in the speculum and because the speculum is more a blue color where as the black duck has a more of purplish speculum.....





Gut_Pile said:


> That is a mottled duck





MudDucker said:


> mottle





Gofish206 said:


> Wow!! Anybody that can use google can tell that's a drake mottle!!





gunsmoke32 said:


> It is a drake mottled.





Birdfinder said:


> Mottled





crowe1187 said:


> Mottled, some of yall need to do some research on identifying characteristics. They normally involve colors leading or following the speculum, bill shape, etc. The main feature you look for to tell mottled from black is the white below the speculum.





rholton said:


> Mottled. People claim black ducks out of Rhetts all the time, but 99% are mottled ducks. Mottled ducks can be light in color, but can also be almost as dark as a blck duck. Most people just dont know the difference. See them all the time down there. Still a trophy none the less. Nice drake motteld duck.



There you have it.


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## fishndinty (Jan 2, 2012)

Hen black duck.  Black ducks CERTAINLY CAN have a faint white line at the bottom of the speculum.  There are varying opinions on why this is the case, from color variants within species to there being a bit of mallard blood in the line of the duck being examined....in some parts of the country over 80% of black ducks have some mallard mixed into their lineage according to genetic testing.

I have shot 4 black ducks up here in Ohio, and unless 2 of them were mottled ducks, decoying into half frozen creeks in January up here, then black ducks can have a bit of white at the bottom of the speculum.

It's a black duck, and there ain't no doubt about it, at least IMHO.


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## dawg2 (Jan 3, 2012)

RedShad_20 said:


> Had a descent morning.  We ended the morning with 4 bufflehead, 2 bluebill and 1 Black Duck?  I have killed a few mottled duck in this location but i have never killed a black and this duck was a lot darker than any that i had ever killed. Either way it was a great hunt and the Black was a big bonus.  What is the best way to tell the 2 apart.  I thought that the wing ban should give it away but still not sure about this one.



Do you have a pic of under the wing?

I am leaning towards Black.  But your pic is really difficult to see.

Here is a good wing ID: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/waterfowl/pdf/MottledDuckPoster.pdf

These are better:

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckplum/mottled.htm

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckplum/amblack.htm


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## Anas Master (Feb 10, 2012)

All the people here who have seen plenty of both species in hand are not certain.  The fact is no one can make a positive identification from those pics. 

Furthermore, there are ducks of these species that don't perfectly fit the profiles set by govt. agencies.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=600650&highlight=black+mottled


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## emusmacker (Feb 11, 2012)

I'm going with mottled.


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## mcarge (Feb 11, 2012)

The faint white line on the bottom of the speculum definitely does not positively identify mottled ducks. These are both mottleds unless someone wants to debate with the federal banding agency that banded them in SC in 2009. I have seen both species with a faint white line, just saying. Congrats on a great bird... whatever it is.


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## emusmacker (Feb 11, 2012)

Dang good looking birds you got there.


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## fishndinty (Feb 14, 2012)

Yeah, if I ever get a black that is not shot up bad (4 and counting, still no luck!!!), I am showing the taxidermist the photo above and telling him to make it look like the one on the right.


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## Romo (Feb 15, 2012)

looks like a black to me but what do i know next to all these experts


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## fourshot (Feb 15, 2012)

It is hard to tell from that pic. with the duck beeing wet. First where did you take it at ? It looks like a Black to me. There is two ways to tell if it is a black. The scientific  name for a Mottled duck mean buff throat patch. If the ducks has solded buff color on the bottom of its head  its a Mottled . If it has small dark flakes like the side of its head its a Black. Also open the wings and look under the bottom side . On the uper edge towards the head you will see some dark feathers if they go all the way out past the wrist or last joint it is a Black. Those are the only way to tell for sure . Unless It is  a cross. The white either of the two can have white. But that means some where in the wood pile there was a Mallard in the jean pool . Hope this help . And congrats on your bird  Take care Clint


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