Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Mexican Duck
Scientific name:	Anas Diazi
Date:	January 11, 2026
Time:	2:00 P.M
Length of time observed:	15 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	Adult
Sex:	Male
Location:	Lower Provo River Delta Discovery Park
County:	Utah
Latilong:	Salt Lake City-Provo
Elevation:	4500 feet
Distance to bird:	15 feet
Optical equipment:	Zenray 8 x 43
Weather:	Sunny
Light Conditions:	Afternoon sun
Description: Size of bird:	Mallard Duck size
(Description:) Basic Shape:	dabbling duck
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	brown, tan, yellow
(Description:) Bill Type:	duck
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	A lot of thought has been put into this bird and feeling confident that this bird is a Mexican Duck, at least by standards held north of the Mexican border. We saw it swimming under a pedestrian bridge that we were standing on. It is a male with a bright yellow bill with a black nail, which is the first mark that you want to find on a female looking Mallard. After that we looked at the breast to see if there was any rufous tones. It appeared to be a nice brown breast with tannish tones. The head was a tan color with a dark cap that we could not pick out any green and none of our photos showed any green on the head either. There was clear line between the darker body and lighter tan head on the neck. The body was a tan, brown, orangish pattern throughout. I went back the next day to look at it again, as did Esther and we both were able to see the speculum, and Esther was able to photograph it. It had very narrow white bars on the speculum and a blue tone on the bar between the white bars. We watched it dip and feed and were able to get good looks at the under tail coverts and saw no white at all. The edging of the tail didn't look to have any white on the edge of the tail, but if it was there it was very faint. There was a feather that had a very slight lift on the tail, but not doing any true curl. This seems to be a common feature when looking through Macaulay Library, including on the main photo of a Mexican Duck.It is the same feather that is lifted also on the 2022 bird in the same area. It also had some slight dark patches on the rump, in the same place as the 2022 bird in fact. A 2022 study that is referenced in the references consulted, it discusses testing DNA of museum birds that were labeled Mallard/Mexican Duck because of the fact that they seemed to have some Mallard traits, and a good number of them came back as pure Mexican Ducks, which signals that pure Mexican Ducks can carry some Mallard looking traits. I believe this bird to fall within range on appearance of being a pure Mexican Duck, and possibly the same duck that the committee has already approved in 2022. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	Did not hear it call while watching.
Behavior:	swimming and actively feeding on algae in river
Habitat:	Flowing River Riparian Area
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Mallard: Mottled Duck: Mallard x Mexican Duck hybrid:
Previous experience with this & similar species:	I have seen them multiple times around Utah, and seen many hybrids.
References consulted:	https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14270-2 Sibley Macauly Library EBird
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	KC Childs
Observer's address:	Orem, UT
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Esther Sumner and many others since initial sighting.
Date prepared:	January 14, 2026
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	This bird looks extremely similar to the 2022 Mexican Duck [2022-01] seen on the Provo River in a very similar area. Despite being 4 years apart, it really seems like the same bird we are dealing with. I believe this bird was accepted by the committee back then. Photos will be emailed from Esther.