Mottled Duck Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesMottled Duck
Female
Warm dark-brown body contrasting with pale buffy head, dark brown cap, and eyeline. Female's bill is black with orange-yellow tip.
© Joel Trick / Macaulay LibraryTexas, February 13, 2017Male
Forages for seeds, vegetation, and insects by dabbling in shallow marshes and flooded fields.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 01, 2007Male and female
In flight shows contrasting white underwings and dark blue secondaries with little or no white borders in the wing.
© Nick Pulcinella / Macaulay LibraryTexas, February 17, 2017Male and female
Male has a bright yellow bill; female has a mostly blackish bill with yellow tip.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 17, 2009Male
Strong contrast between dark brown body and pale buffy head, with few or no markings on the throat.
© Steve Percival / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 11, 2013Male
Warm dark-brown body contrasting with pale buffy head and dark brown cap. Bright yellow bill with small black spot at the gape.
© Patrick J. Blake / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 02, 2017Flock
In flight, note pale head and underwings contrasting with dark body.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 01, 2007Female and chick
Ducklings are fluffy and dark brown with pale yellowish faces and a dark eyeline.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 23, 2018Adult (with Least Grebe)
Occurs in shallow marshes, wet prairies, flooded fields and ditches, and other wetlands of the southeastern U.S. and Mexico.
© Lynne Parks / Macaulay LibraryTexas, February 09, 2017Similar SpeciesMallard
Female (Northern)
Female Mallards have bold white borders to speculum that Mottled Ducks lack. They also have an orange (not yellow) bill and whitish tail feathers.
© Steeve R. Baker / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, April 02, 2017Similar SpeciesMexican Duck
Male
Mexican Ducks have darker crowns than Mottled Ducks.
© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 21, 2017Similar SpeciesMallard
Nonbreeding male and female (Northern)
Nonbreeding male and female mallards are darker overall with bold white borders to speculum that Mottled Ducks lack.
© Linda Lewis / Macaulay LibraryMaryland, August 16, 2016Similar SpeciesAmerican Black Duck
Male
American Black Ducks are darker overall than Mottled Ducks and lack the dark spot at the base of the bill.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 05, 2014Similar SpeciesAmerican Black Duck
Female
American Black Ducks are darker overall than Mottled Ducks with a purple (not blue) speculum without white borders.
© Amanda Guercio / Macaulay LibraryOntario, October 05, 2016Similar SpeciesNorthern Shoveler
Female/immature
Female/immature Northern Shovelers have a larger and wider bill than Mottled Ducks and a paler belly.
© Brendan Fogarty / Macaulay LibraryNew York, January 15, 2017Similar SpeciesNorthern Shoveler
Nonbreeding male
Nonbreeding male Northern Shovelers have a larger and wider bill than Mottled Ducks.
© Suzanne Labbé / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, November 07, 2015Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family: Anatidae)
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