What in the WORLD!!! ????

**sammy101** · 11-20-2005, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by christa

Is it young? Is it possible that the coloring is a part of it's maturing process? I don't know anything about ducks, but that's my guess.

thats what i thought. very pretty!

**Toby's my baby** · 11-20-2005, 10:08 PM

I was thinking that too, the duck is about 3 months old, but the first picture the duck looks like a female, because it doesnt have a shiny head, but then in the last pictures, it looks like a male, because of the shiny head, i dont know, sex change?? Lol, I have had ducks forever, and never had this problem before!!

BTW, duck pictures in Pet General

**finn's mom** · 11-20-2005, 10:09 PM

I thought mallards were supposed to do that. I don't know that much about ducks, though, but, I thought they started out like that...and, the males changed to the more colorful feathers...and, the females stayed pretty close to the brown feathers. How old is he? I love the drakes, they are so gorgeous!

**CagneyDog** · 11-20-2005, 10:10 PM

That's normal. The male mallards develop the green head as they get older. When they are younger they don't have it.

**Almita** · 11-20-2005, 10:28 PM

since i have a lake in my backyard it takes 4 months or so for the males to mature. Unless it did get sex change lol which is weird lol.

**Karen** · 11-20-2005, 10:31 PM

As the others said, it is perfectly normal. Many birds, mallards included, change coloring as they become mature. That's why in bird books, you'll often see an illustration for the immature bird and then one for the mature bird.