What about mallards with weird pigmentations (ie blonde)? Should they be marked as A.platyrhynchos domesticus?
They should only be marked as domestic if there is clear evidence of domestic ancestry. Aberrant plumage alone is not enough evidence for that classification.
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I tend to disagree. Most examples of ‘blond’ Mallards appear in urban areas where domestic Mallards are plentiful. They also appear way more regularly than species without domestic variants.
And while ‘blond’ Mallards are somewhat of a tossup, morphs like the Duclair Duck are certainly of domestic origin, bearing an appearance that couldn’t result from a single mutation.
Either way, join the Blond Mallard project if you’re interested in such ducks. They’re actually pretty variable. Link below:
https://inaturalist.ca/projects/blond-mallards
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I’ ve already joined! Is there any similar project about domestic Mallards of all varieties?
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The Muddled Duck project focuses on weird ducks more generally and Amazing Aberrants is about animals with strange pigmentations.
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