Mottled Duck - Anas fulvigula

My wife and I were driving along the Florida state highway near Orlando whenI saw this lone duck along the road. It looked a little bit different from the very common Mallards. I slowed down and parked the car on the grassy shoulder. "Mottled Duck!" I told Cynthia excitedly. It was a lifer for us.

These ducks can be found along the Gulf Coast from south Alabama to northern Mexico. The nominate subspecies inhabits south Georgia and the Florida peninsula. They look similar to female Mallards and had been known to interbreed with that species. They feed by dabbling in shallow waters or by grazing on land.

Mottled Duck - Anas fulvigula
Orlando, Florida
April 6, 2009

Canon 40D, 300mm+1.4X (420mm) handheld
ISO-500, 1/250, f10