How to identify it
Both sexes look like a darker version of a female Mallard. [1][2]
Bill bright yellow (male) or dull yellow (female). [1][2]
Blue wing patch (speculum) lacks the broad white borders of a Mallard. [1][2]
Body paler and head more buff than American Black Duck. [1][2]
Compared with the mallard (female): Mottled Duck is darker and its wing patch lacks Mallard's broad white borders. [1][2]
Compared with the american black duck: Mottled Duck's body is paler and head more buff; Black Duck is rare in the deep south. [1][2]
Compared with the mexican duck: Compare in the Southwest, from southern and western Texas to Arizona. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Mallard · Anas platyrhynchos
- American black duck · Anas rubripes
- Mexican duck · Anas diazi
Where it lives
Marshes and open marshy country, wet prairies and rice fields; favors treeless country. In coastal areas usually fresh or brackish ponds adjacent to the coast rather than salt marsh. [1][2]
How it behaves
Mostly non-migratory; makes local movements as habitat conditions change [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations (2026-27)
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Florida — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Florida Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Indiana — migratory bird hunting · Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026-2027: Waterfowl & Migratory Bird Regulations
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Maine — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maine Migratory Game Bird Quick Reference Guide
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Mississippi — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Gamebird Digest 2026-27 (MDWFP)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Duck: 2026-2027 Seasons & Regulations
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Two natural resident ranges: the western Gulf Coast from Alabama west to Texas and south to Tamaulipas, and the Florida peninsula. Populations introduced from the 1970s exist in eastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALAudubon Field Guide: Mottled Duck
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe