# Black duck with white front ??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150 "2004-09-04T22:35:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![twelvericepaddies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@twelvericepaddies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelvericepaddies)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150/21 "2004-09-05T18:43:15Z")

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> [@ggurl](#):
>
> It sounds like a [blue swede](http://www.feathersite.com//Poultry/Ducks/Swedes/BRKSwedes.html), or Blue Swedish duck, to me. It’s a domesticated duck, so if that’s what you saw it would really stand out and look unusual in the wild.

Thank you - I think it is a Blue Swede. The 1st pair of photos are closest to the duck I saw and photograohed. As luck would have it, I had only my 75 mm lens along instead of one of my big lenses, but I will go home and compare this with the photo. I would say 97% you hit it with the BS. This (Humber) River runs thru a lot of different country & city situations and it could be a domesticated duck escaping domestic duties. It did stick out, but there is a small colony of Cormorants there too and because they are so dark took, it confused me to see this seemingly black duck for the 1st time. Thank you and others for your replies.

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**Author:** ![twelvericepaddies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@twelvericepaddies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelvericepaddies)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150/22 "2004-09-05T18:46:46Z")

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> [@ccwaterback](#):
>
> So no one thinks my picture of the female Bufflehead is even CLOSE to what the OP described??? I don’t know, it seems VERY close to the OP description to me.
> 
> OP:  
> “It was solid black except for a bright white apron and I think some white on its head.”
> 
> “about the size of a woodduck or teal”  
> Now, look at this picture of a female Bufflehead:  
> [http://www.ronausting.com/bufflehe.htm](http://www.ronausting.com/bufflehe.htm)
> 
> 😕

Just to be clear - it was 1000% different than the Bufflehead - neat ( Tidy, that is) white colouring like a Nun under the chin & nearly down to the waterline. The Buffleheads I see here all drive suv’s or beaten-up pick up trucks.

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150/23 "2004-09-05T18:52:30Z")

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> [@twelvericepaddies](#):
>
> Thank you and others for your replies.

If it’s a BS, ya’ll must have some mighty big woodducks and teal up there, that’s all I can say.

← resident Bufflehead 😃

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-duck-with-white-front/263150/24 "2004-09-05T19:03:05Z")

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Here’s a decent gallery of duck pictures:

[http://www.ducks.org/waterfowling/gallery/](http://www.ducks.org/waterfowling/gallery/)

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