These are the six factors that cover
the colours of Calls:-
1.Mallard Factor
Wild Pattern/Dusky Mallard./Restricted Mallard
The Mallard Factor allows full expression of the "Wild
Type" pattern.It is dominant to the dusky factor and
recessive to the restricted factor. Each factor produces
its own pattern in ducklings and in adult birds.
Mallard: Ducklings: Olive-black with four
yellow spots on the back,the head is yellow with two
ocular(eye) stripes from the base of the bill to the
dorsal area.
Adults: The male bears full expression of the
wild type.The female is rich buff brown with a dark line
running from the base of the bill through the eye and a
dark patch on the crown that runs down the neck.Each
feather is distinctly pencilled with black or very dark
brown.
Dusky Mallard: Ducklings:The back is olive
-black shading off to olive - grey on the under side,
with an absence of ocular stripes and dorsal spots.
Adults:Male - There is usually an absence of
the neck ring and the claret breast is either missing or
very small,
Female- She is very dark and lacks eye stripes
and cap.
2.Restricted Mallard;
Ducklings;- Dark Pigment on the back is
confined to patches on the head and tail.The remainder is
dull yellow with dark under colour.
Adults:In both sexes the difference is on the
wing front and bow. The restricted bird always shows
areas of white on the dorsal surface.This is due to the
white lacing or tipping rather than completely white
feathers.The feathers may have a silvery cast o them.The
females wing bow appears paler than in the wild type
Mallard or Dusky.
Dark Phase Light Phase Harlequin
Phase
Each of these genes affect the mallard colour.The
dominant factor is dark phase; it allows full expression
of any one of the three mallard factors which happen to
be present.
Light Phase: It lightens the colour of the
adult plumage in the female and intensifies the colour of
the male.
Ducklings: At 19 to 20 days will have a white
spot under the chin.The light phase ducklings never have
more than one unbroken stripe running through the eye.
Dark phase usually have two.When theses two phases are
with dusky mallard it is impossible to tell at day old.
Adults: The light phase is brought about by the
reduction of the size of the dark portion of each feather
. It increases the area of claret on the breast and
extends it along the sides over the shoulders.A minor
modification in the males causes the black on the back to
reduce to dark grey.
Light Phase/Dusky Mallard: will produce some
claret in the breast region of the males.A lighter tone
occurs in the light phase dusky female.
Harlequin Phase; Ducklings; Hunter in 1939
described a variation from the wild pattern. The mutation
appeared in a flock of wild mallards that had been
domesticated and inbred for about twenty four years. The
ducklings were yellow with smoky coloured down on their
heads and tails.
Adults; The ducks were almost entirely white on
the breast. They had greyish heads and light coloured
wings and tails. The black markings of the male and the
wing specular of both sexes were quite normal.
3.Mallard Dilution to
Blue
Blue Fawn;Male; Dark seal blue head ,neck and
speculum, with claret breast. Female : Grey blue and rich
fawn, blue speculum, fawn laced feathers.
Pastel; Dilution of the Blue Fawn; Male; Silver
blue head, neck and specular, claret breast with a shaded
silver blue body
Female; Shading from golden fawn to silver
blue.Rich Fawn eye streak and cap Golden fawn chest and
blue speculum.
Aztec Blue; Wild pattern on lavender or
silver;Male; Dark silver head and neck and
speculum.Claret Breast shaded silver body . Female; Soft
silver blue (No Fawn) darker speculum, shaded silver
body.
4.Wild Mallard ...Dilution to
Browns
Nutmeg; This is the Brighter form of the Khaki
in the Wild pattern. Male; Dark Brown Head, neck and
Iridescent brown specular.Claret breast, soft brown
vermiculation on the flank.Female; The colour is similar
to the khaki but will be lighter, brighter with each
feather distinctly pencilled with a brilliant specular.
Ginger ; When you dilute nutmeg it becomes the
buff colour in the wild pattern.Male; Soft brown head
with matching speculum, white wing bras,rich claret
breast on soft buff body. Female ; Golden buff, slight
eye stripe, very light wing bows and primaries, speculum
white bars with soft tan.
5.Mallard Dusty Factor; Self
Colours; Even Tones
Black ; flat even tone of black Blue ; dark
without rust tones
Silver ; Soft blue silver
Chocolate ; Rich even tones of chocolate
Khaki ; Soft subtle pencilling without much
speculum
Buff ;Tan head no speculum
Cocoa or Dunn ; Light form of chocolate may
come from blue cross
Bibbed ; This is controlled by a completely
dominant gene. It could appear on any of the self
colours.
Runner Pattern ; The cap is separated from the
cheek markings by an extension of the neck white which
covers the entire neck . The breast white starts in front
of the thigh and passes between the legs to beyond the
vent. A third area of white is present on the wings
covering the primaries, secondaries and lower part of the
wing bow. This pattern can be bred on self colours and
wild mallard colours.
For example;- Fawn & White ............. self
colour
Pencilled ........... Dusky Mallard
Pied Drake/Duck Call & other Bantam ducks
Blue Silver Pied drake....Dark silver Pied duck Call
Hooded or Magpie Pattern ; This is most likely
a modified Runner Pattern and could be bred on any solid
or wild colour
6. Light Phase on
Restricted Mallard or Wild Mallard
(eg Trout Runner Colouration)
Aleutian ; Grey Patterns with a reduction of
the size of the dark portion of each feather.
Cinnamon ; Grey Pattern with a reduction of the
size of the dark portion of each feather **This group
could come in any of the colours**
Harlequin Phase ; Spot ; Theses look like the
mallards Hunter described in the mutation from wild
mallards (Hunter 1939). The female is almost entirely
white, greyish head, light coloured wing and tail, normal
speculum. Males are the lightest in the harlequin group
with normal markings.
Snowy ; Red - buff head, some red on the chest
and shoulders, black and red spotting on the back with a
violet speculum.Males darker and more red than the spot
male.
Blue Snowy ; Blue replaces the black in the
male and female.
Chocolate Snowy; Chocolate replaces red on the
male and female.
Minor modifications in the harlequin restricts the
colour under the
chin around the neck down the breast and ventral areas
of the female. The male will have white eye streaks in
the eclipse plumage.
Appleyard ; The wild mallard pattern
Butterscotch ; Female ; Rich golden red with
eye streaks over white.Male ; Rich blue with claret
extending over the shoulders, down the flank and low on
the breast region.
Yellow Bellies ; This is the same pattern as
the butterscotch female, wild colour on the back and
head,The eye streaks and the entire underside is yellow.
Male ; wild pattern with yellow belly .
Reference ; "The Inheritance of Plumage Colour in
the Common Duck" by F.A.Lancaster National Institute of
Poultry Husbandry UK
by Jane Edington
Reprinted from the 2000 Yearbook of the
DWC copywrite Jane Edington /DWC
*Standards
used are the Poultry Club of Great Britain pub
1998**
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