Today at Sheldon Lake in Fort Collins City Park I was scanning thru the 150 or so Mallards and saw one with a head that was green throughout the top half and tan throughout the bottom half. It had a maroon chest, yellow and black beak and body like a female Mallard. In perusing the Sibley Field Guide he actually shows a very similar bird and says it is a known rare occurrence of a female that has certain male field marks (namely, the top of the head coloration and the chest). I have seen individuals that apparently are hybrids between Mallard and Black or Mallard and Mexican, that show odd green color configurations on the head, but never one with this head pattern and assortment of other gender characteristics. Just thought I'd share.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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