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@theduckdna

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Official account of duckDNA - a partnership between Ducks Unlimited, University of Texas at El Paso, and hunters to study waterfowl genetics. 🦆🧬

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Congratulations to Brandon Flory on harvesting this remarkable Canada Goose x Domestic Goose hybrid in southeastern Pennsylvania this past January!

At first glance, this bird could easily be mistaken for a blonde Canada Goose or even a Canada Goose x Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid due to its orange bill and feet. However, duckDNA testing confirmed that this goose is a first-generation hybrid produced by a male Domestic Goose and a female Canada Goose.

So far, we have identified more than a dozen Canada Goose x Domestic Goose hybrids, and every case involved a Canada Goose as the mother and a Domestic Goose as the father. This pattern suggests that male Domestic Geese are more likely to pair with female Canada Geese, while male Canada Geese may show little interest in Domestic Goose females. An alternative hypothesis is that offspring resulting from the mating of a male Canada Goose and female Domestic Goose are simply less viable and therefore rarely encountered.

The data being assembled through duckDNA will help researchers investigate these and other fascinating questions, providing new insights into the complex world of waterfowl hybridization in the wild.

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #goosehunting #hybridgoose #canadagoose #domesticgoose by @theduckdna

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2 days ago

Great find by James Petersen in submitting this fascinating Gadwall x Mallard hybrid backcross. This bird, and several others like it, are challenging the long-held beliefs of the reproductive viability of hybrids. Genetic analysis shows that this bird is the result of a successful breeding between a Gadwall × Mallard hybrid (commonly called a Brewer's Duck) and a female Gadwall.

Hybrids between distantly related species, such as Mallards and Gadwall, are commonly believed to be sterile. Yet we have identified multiple birds that are the result of a Brewer’s Duck backcrossing with a Gadwall, demonstrating that these hybrids can reproduce and pass their genes to future generations.

What's especially surprising is that nearly every Gadwall × Mallard backcross we've encountered appears to have been the result of a male Brewer’s Duck mating with a female Gadwall. This pattern suggests that male Brewer's Ducks may preferentially select Gadwall mates, a question we are excited to explore further.

This bird's appearance is overwhelmingly Gadwall-like, reflecting its predominantly Gadwall genetics. This helps explain why hunters have typically referred to birds of this type as a “stud gadwall” or a gadwall with aberrant plumage. However, the broad iridescent green stripe across the crown is an indicator of Mallard influence.

Another giveaway of this bird’s mixed ancestry is its sharply defined and buff-colored cheek patch and broad black neck ring. While Gadwall can occasionally show pale cheeks, they are typically subtle and overlaid with fine vermiculation. This bird's facial pattern is reminiscent of traits commonly seen in first-generation Gadwall × Mallard hybrids.

Overall, this is an exceptional example of a Gadwall-dominant backcross, combining the appearance of a Gadwall with several reminders of its Mallard ancestry. Thanks again to James for sharing such a unique and informative bird!

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #mallard #gadwall by @theduckdna

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9 days ago

Props to Kyle Burdue for noticing the uniqueness of this Florida Mottled Duck x Game-farm Mallard Hybrid this past December in Central Florida!

At first glance, this looks like your regular Mottled Duck: dark feathers with tan edging, black spot at the base of a prominent yellow bill, and dark eye stripe. But wait! What’s that on the wing? On a typical Florida Mottled Duck, the white bars above and below the speculum are faint to nonexistent. However, these white stripes are rather hefty. What’s up with that?

Turns out, this Mottled Duck has Game-farm Mallard ancestry mixed in. While it is a relatively small amount at 13%—reflecting a series of backcrosses with pure Mottled Ducks—studies have shown that even a small percentage of Game-farm Mallard heritage can alter appearance and behavior.

It’s easy to wonder whether this drake’s behaviors and habitat preferences were different from a pure Mottled Duck. How much was dictated by its remaining Game-farm Mallard ancestry? Knowing the extent of Game-farm Mallard ancestry among Florida Mottled Ducks is important to waterfowl managers because of its potential threats to the genetic integrity and sustainability of native Mottled Ducks. Our team appreciates the opportunity to provide data that will continue to inform this understanding.

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #mallard #mottledduck by @theduckdna

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16 days ago

Big thanks to Brayden Bledsaw for submitting this Greater Scaup x Lesser Scaup hybrid harvested this past January in Arkansas!

Immediately upon seeing this bird, we knew something was afoot. The black and white vermiculation on its back and its broad “blue bill” provided obvious clues to its scaup ancestry. The enlarged nail on its bill and white extending onto the primaries were indicative of Greater Scaup, but something still seemed a bit atypical.

DNA analysis confirmed our suspicion. This bird is 88% Greater Scaup and 12% Lesser Scaup, pointing to a hybrid breeding between these two species somewhere in the past, perhaps as a great-grandparent or further back.

Adding to the intrigue around this bird is its harvest location in Arkansas. Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup are closely related and use similar breeding and wintering habitats where both occur, leading to occasional hybridization events. However, Greater Scaup are far less abundant overall than Lesser Scaup and are typically associated with coastal and marine waters. Lesser Scaup, in contrast, are more likely to occur on inland habitats of the type likely encountered in Arkansas, making this a truly unique find!

Thanks to Brayden for noting the unusual features of this bird and for reaching out to duckDNA for definitive answers! What other unusual diver hybrids are you hoping we will uncover this season?

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #greaterscaup #lesserscaup #scaup by @theduckdna

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23 days ago

The first round of duckDNA Standard Sampling Program selections will take place this Monday, September 21. If you're interested in participating, be sure to submit your application before Monday. Simply click the link in our bio or visit www.duckDNA.com and select "Apply Today" to get started. by @theduckdna

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a month ago

Congratulations to Vincent Fiorenza for harvesting this Wood Duck x Game-Farm Mallard hybrid in northern California in November of 2025!

Interestingly, this Wood Duck x Mallard hybrid resulted from a Game-Farm Mallard, not a Wild Mallard. Of the Mallard x Wood Duck hybrids analyzed by duckDNA so far, approximately half have involved Game-Farm Mallards. Although our sample size is small, we find it intriguing that Game-Farm Mallards in our dataset appear to hybridize with Wood Ducks at a frequency similar to that of Wild Mallards.

What makes these hybrids even more remarkable is the evolutionary distance between the two species. Mallards and Wood Ducks diverged roughly 10 million years ago, yet they are still capable of producing offspring.

Vincent's bird beautifully showcases this unusual combination of genetics. While it retains many traits inherited from its maternal Wood Duck lineage, several features reveal its mixed ancestry. The crisp color boundaries typical of a pure Wood Duck are softened and mottled, and the head is predominantly green, lacking the bold white facial stripes seen on a mature drake Wood Duck. The bill is also much less colorful than that of a typical Wood Duck, instead showing stronger yellow tones reminiscent of a drake Mallard. Its feet are a bright yellow-orange, contrasting with the duller orange-brown feet usually seen on a pure Wood Duck.

Hybrids like this offer a fascinating glimpse into the complexity of waterfowl genetics and evolution. Thanks to Vincent for sharing this exceptional bird with us!

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #mallard #woodduck by @theduckdna

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a month ago

Huge thanks to Kateo Faaiu for submitting this incredible leucistic intersex Wild Mallard x Game-Farm Mallard hybrid from the Seattle area this past January.

Leucistic Mallards, commonly referred to as blonde Mallards, are already exceptionally rare, and like most we've tested, this bird carries game-farm genetics. Yet its light plumage is only part of what makes this bird so fascinating.

Based on plumage alone, this duck appears to be a male. It displays several classic drake characteristics, including a white neck collar, curled tail feathers, a light chestnut-brown breast, and a darker head. However, its bill tells a different story. The bill shows a pronounced dark saddle and an orange tip, hinting at this bird’s uniqueness. Genetic testing confirmed this bird was in fact female but had begun to display male plumage.

Intersex ducks like this one are affected by hormonal imbalances that can result from a variety of causes, including ovarian injury, disease, or old age. Its other unique trait—leucism—is produced by a rare genetic condition, making the occurrence of both traits in the same bird exceptionally uncommon!

Whatever the explanation, thanks to genetic testing, we know this bird is truly one of a kind —a leucistic, intersex, hybrid Mallard.

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #mallard by @theduckdna

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a month ago

🚨 THE 2026 WATERFOWL SEASON OUTLOOK IS HERE 🚨🦆

duckDNA is taking a break from our hybrid of the week post so you can focus on listening to details about the 2026 Waterfowl Season Outlook.

Dr. Mike Brasher dives deep with Jimbo Ronquest, Wade Shoemaker, Lake Pickle, Cason Short, and more to break down EVERYTHING you need to know before you hit the blind.

Presented by @onXhunt 🔥

📅 WED SEPT 2 | 🕕 6PM CDT | 📺 LIVE on Ducks Unlimited YouTube — DON'T MISS IT

#DucksUnlimited #Waterfowl #onXHunt #GetAfterIt by @theduckdna

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a month ago

Congratulations to Logan Sanders for submitting this second-generation Mexican Duck x Wild Mallard hybrid. This bird is interesting not only because of its genetics, but also where it was harvested.

Mexican Ducks are largely associated with, you guessed it, Mexico, but are also found in small numbers in the southwestern United States. However, this unique hybrid was harvested in Nebraska, well outside its core range.

Even though this bird’s genome is mostly Mexican Duck, about 22% of its ancestry was identified as Wild Mallard. The Mallard ancestry may help explain some of its unusual plumage and behavioral traits, and could even influence its movement, habitat use, or migratory tendencies.

Genetics alone does not tell the whole story, but birds like this help us better understand how ancestry, behavior, and geography interact across North America’s waterfowl populations.

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #mexicanduck #mallard by @theduckdna

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2 months ago

Not all hybrids are obvious. Thankfully, sharp-eyed hunters know when a closer look is warranted.

Congratulations to Dax Baker, who harvested this remarkable bird in Oklahoma on December 27, 2024. At first glance, it appears to be a classic drake Ring-necked Duck, with its dark glossy head, bluish-gray bill marked by a white band near the tip, and overall dark-backed appearance. Most hunters would identify it as a Ring-necked Duck and move on, but Dax noticed the details that suggested a more complicated story.

The bird showed a few traits that hinted at Lesser Scaup ancestry. The bill appeared to have a thinner than expected white band near the tip, while the head plumage had hints of iridescent green, and the overall plumage had a more blended look than the sharp contrast often seen in drake ringnecks. Those subtle field marks were enough to raise questions, and duckDNA confirmed Dax’s hunch.

Genetic testing identified this duck as a second-generation Ring-necked Duck × Lesser Scaup hybrid. That ancestry is what makes this bird especially interesting. First-generation hybrids are expected to have an obvious mix of both parent species, but the genetic deck typically gets reshuffled in later-generation hybrids. A bird can look overwhelmingly like one species while still carrying measurable DNA from another. In this case, the Ring-necked Duck signal was physically dominant, but the Lesser Scaup ancestry was still there, showing up in subtle ways.

This bird is also a great reminder that hybrid identification does not always hinge on a diagnostic field mark. Sometimes it starts with a hunter noticing that something doesn’t quite fit. Dax saw enough to question the identification, and genetics revealed the true ancestry hidden within.

Would this one have caught your attention in the decoys, or would you have called it a Ring-necked Duck and moved on?

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid #ringneckedduck #lesserscaup by @theduckdna

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2 months ago

🎥 All-New Episode of The Gamekeepers of Mossy Oak⁠ on The Outdoor Channel! ⁠
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📺 Tuesday at 9:00 PM Eastern ⁠ 🦆 Are Your Mallards Wild?⁠
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On this episode, we’re joined once again by Dr. Phil Lavretsky of The University of Texas at El Paso for a critical update on the Duck DNA Project.⁠
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For the past five years, Dr. Lavretsky has been studying the genetic influence of game farm mallards that were once primarily found in the Atlantic Flyway but are now showing up across other regions of the country. What does that mean for wild mallards, migration, and the future of waterfowl hunting? This conversation dives into the science behind one of the most important waterfowl research projects happening today.⁠
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If you care about ducks, conservation, and the future of our flyways, this is an episode every waterfowler should hear.⁠
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#GamekeepersPodcast #DuckDNA #Waterfowl #DuckHunting #Mallards #Conservation #WaterfowlScience #DuckSeason #Wetlands #Flyways #WaterfowlResearch #UTEP #MossyOak #Gamekeepers #DuckHunters #WildlifeManagement #ListenLearnEnjoy by @theduckdna

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2 months ago

The wait is over! duckDNA is back for the 2026–27 hunting season!

Applications are now OPEN for both our Standard Sampling and Hybrid Sampling Programs. Check the link in our bio or go to www.duckDNA.com and click “Apply Today.”

New this year, our three-vial Standard Sampling Program has added Northern Pintails to the list of eligible species. These samples will inform exciting new research on the genetics of this iconic species. We will continue to accept samples from all species of Mallard-like ducks, including Mallards, American Black Ducks, Mexican Ducks, and Mottled Ducks.

The first round of Standard Sampling Program selections will take place in mid-September, so don’t delay!

#duckDNA #waterfowlscience #duckhunting #duckhybrid by @theduckdna

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2 months ago