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I have never seen a duck stand as erect as the one shown in the centre of the attached photo (right) which I took at Rowsley, Derbyshire, in the UK. Does anyone know if there is an explanation for this posture or is it just an unexpectedly tall duck?
鈥� Most of the birds in the background of the photograph are male and female mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from which almost all domestic ducks originate and hence commonly and freely interbreed.
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But the upright drake is a cross-breed 鈥� note the less-clearly defined markings compared with the other drakes. He is half mallard and his other parent was an . This is a common breed that is raised for its egg-laying performance and characterised by its quite distinctive vertical stance and slender frame, which results in a comical gait. Standard domestic ducks similar to the others in the photograph, which are bred for their meat, retain a more normal horizontal carriage.
鈥淭he Indian runner duck has a distinctive vertical stance and slender frame, which results in a comical gait鈥�
Interestingly, the slender upright stance seen in this duck is quite dominant genetically, and interbreeding between Indian runners and other ducks typically results in skinny, upright offspring. Indian runners come in a wide variety of colours, with white and brown being the most common.
Giles Osborne, Mitcham, Surrey, UK
鈥� The erect duck is a hybrid of a mallard duck and a domestic Indian runner duck. Indian runners and the crested version, Bali ducks, came from Indonesia 鈥� not India 鈥� and were brought to Europe by Dutch traders. They were once known as penguin ducks because of their erect stance.
鈥淚ndian runners came from Indonesia 鈥� not India 鈥� and were brought to Europe by Dutch traders鈥�
Gail Harland, Coddenham Green, Suffolk, UK
For those who would like to explore the parentage and history of this creature further, check out the Indian Runner Duck Association at . Thanks to Jo Horsley of Llanwrda, Carmarthenshire, UK, and others for pointing this out 鈥� Ed