Ok so lets clarify the "Mallard-type" ducks of North America.  Hopefully it will help some of you guys out who feel lost after looking at hand-drawn paintings offered as "help" on various websites.

How many full species of Mallard-type ducks are there in North America ?

1) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
2) American Black Duck (Anas rubipes)
3) Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)

That is it...only three FULL species of Mallard type ducks.

Where do you say is the Mexican Duck then ?  Is it a species on its own ?  It is very similar to the Mottled Duck....so it must be a sub-species of the Mottled Duck.  Correct.....WRONG !!!

Mexican Duck is a sub-species of the MALLARD.

There are 4 sub-species of Mallard alive in the world right now.  We are very lucky to have two sub-species on the North American Continent.

MALLARD - (Anas platyrhynchos maculosa)
MEXICAN DUCK - (Anas platyrhynchos diazi)

One more thing....Mexican Duck is also known as the Mexican Mallard....and it is just that, another Mallard.  The drake of Mexican Duck does NOT have a greenhead like the drake Mallard.  

Here are two drakes side by side.  Same species....just different sub-species.

So as you can see the color scheme on the speculum goes as follows

- White Bar
- Black Bar
- COLOR
- Black Bar
- White Bar

Ok so it is established what Mexican Duck aka Mexican Mallard is.....Moving On.

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Ok so here are the Mottled Duck and American Black Duck side by side.

First to differentiate them from Mallard....there are no white bars on the leading edge (TOP) of the Speculum.
There "may" be a small, tiny, skinny, WHITE bar on the trailing edge (BOTTOM).  


Black ducks have very dark plumage under natural sunlight.  Mottled ducks are quite lighter in color.  Also upon close inspection of feathers you will find difference in patterns.

Biggest identifier is the cheek area.  Mottled ducks do not have vermiculation whereas Black ducks have heavy vermiculation on the cheek.

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Now Mottled Ducks have two SUB-species

1) Flordia Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula fulvigula)
2) Texas Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula maculosa)   this sub-species is also knows as the Gulf Mottled Duck

Speculum colors on both sub-species are a bit different.  Gulf mottled is a bit darker when compared to the Florida mottled.


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I hope this post helps you understand the differences between the 3 wonderful species we are so lucky to have in North America.  The sub-species take a keen eye to differentiate. Also, where they were taken is very important.

All in all the smaller population, native species, like Black Ducks and Mottled Ducks are being constantly raped by Mallards...in a few decades the gene pool will get diluted quite a bit and we will start seeing more and more hybrid birds.  Mallards are basically breeding the Black Ducks on the East Coast out of existence.  Many Black Ducks shot on the east coast are not pure any more.  I figure it is a matter of time when the American Black Duck, Florida Mottled Duck, Gulf Mottled Duck and the Mexican Mallard are going to loose their genetic purity over time.

Big thanks for sharing the knowledge, bud. It's most appreciated!

Hell, I've hunted ducks all my life on 3 continents and I didn't even know there was a Mexican Mallard. Learn something new everyday. Thanks.

The Mexican mallard is a hybrid......I'll let y'all use your imaginations as to how it happened.



Thanks collector........

mexican mallards - hum - do you suppose they swim across the river to?