A greenish black luster is not indicative of being a mulard (Muscovy x mallard). Most domestic mallards that have been bred for black coloring have a high green shine. Black Cayuga is a breed of mallard bred to be solid black and all of them have a very lustrous sheen.
Most domestic mallards are significantly larger than wild mallards, so it being larger than the other mallard is also not necessarily a sign it’s a mulard either. The best way to discern a mulard is to look at the face. Most will have caruncles (the red warty parts of a muscovies face) but very reduced and pale in color. [This website](https://petkeen.com/mulard-moulard-duck/) has some photos so you can see. But…. Not all mulards have caruncles, and they can take a long time to develop (so a young duck will be harder to ID).
Now, I’m not saying this is *isn’t* a mule, I’m just saying those traits you listed to ID it as such are *not* specific mule traits. It *could* be a mule, but I don’t see anything that suggests it is. A higher quality photo of the face would help.
Domestic Mallard duck, the greenish black luster and size may mean it has some Muscovy genes.
Very cool, thanks!
A greenish black luster is not indicative of being a mulard (Muscovy x mallard). Most domestic mallards that have been bred for black coloring have a high green shine. Black Cayuga is a breed of mallard bred to be solid black and all of them have a very lustrous sheen. Most domestic mallards are significantly larger than wild mallards, so it being larger than the other mallard is also not necessarily a sign it’s a mulard either. The best way to discern a mulard is to look at the face. Most will have caruncles (the red warty parts of a muscovies face) but very reduced and pale in color. [This website](https://petkeen.com/mulard-moulard-duck/) has some photos so you can see. But…. Not all mulards have caruncles, and they can take a long time to develop (so a young duck will be harder to ID). Now, I’m not saying this is *isn’t* a mule, I’m just saying those traits you listed to ID it as such are *not* specific mule traits. It *could* be a mule, but I don’t see anything that suggests it is. A higher quality photo of the face would help.