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Matt:

OK, I'm crest challenged, what I have still beats what the others have.

BEAUTIFUL shot of BCNH, Matt - just perfect!

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

OMG!  Another great bunch of additions to the "Bad Crest" series!  Thanks!

 

"Royal" crests in portrait.  I suppose this is why the British came up with powdered wigs...

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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
Immanuel Kant

jbm32206:

What in the heck does that duck have on his head?  (I know it's a male only because he has a curly feather in his tail)  Is that a specific breed?

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

It is in fact a specific breed of Mallard. Dunno why people ever thought that'd be a good idea...

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Total birds seen: 205
Latest lifers:
Brown Creeper, Field Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow
Favorite lifers:
Black-billed Cuckoo, Reddish Egret, Wood Stork

It's not nice to fool mother nature!  I like them the way mother nature intended.  Nothing against the picture - thanks for posting it - do you know what it's called?

Apparently they are merely called "Crested Ducks", or perhaps "Crested Mallards".

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Total birds seen: 205
Latest lifers:
Brown Creeper, Field Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow
Favorite lifers:
Black-billed Cuckoo, Reddish Egret, Wood Stork

traits like that (on domestic fowl) are usually unintentional byproducts of selective breeding.  when most breeds of domestic fowl were developed, the intentions were larger eggs, fat breasts, high egg production, etc.  a trait, such as that crest, was probably a secondary byproduct of a more desirable trait, like the ones mentioned above.  basically, and this is hypothetical, when trying to develop a duck that laid an average of 3-4 eggs per week, a crest may have developed on some of the breeders stock.  being that it was unique, the breeder may have selected for high egg yeild ducks with a tuft of head feathers, so his/her breed would stand out.  sort of a look-what-I-found thing.

"Shake your groove thing, shake your groove thing.."

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!