Quick identification
Mottled duck (Anas fulvigula)
A dark, evenly mottled dabbling duck with a pale head and dark eye line. It lacks the bright white tail borders typical of many female mallards.
Season and local range: Year-round Gulf Coast resident.
Habitat and island setting
Coastal marsh, shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands.
Where to look
Check protected marsh from the Nature Center boardwalk and nearby mainland refuges. Island sightings depend on water levels and season. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Pairs and small groups feed by tipping in shallow water. Keep dogs leashed where required and stay away from broods hidden along vegetated edges.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.