Hybridisation between different species of waterfowl

When waterfowl are kept in mixed collections in captivity, interbreeding between different species can often be observed. Five cases of hybridisation between different ducks and teals raised together have been described. The first case from 2011 was a cross between a male Hottentot teal ( Spatula hottentota ) and a female Silver teal ( Spatula versicolor ), from the same genus Spatula, the offspring resembling the mother in size, while in decoration, it primarily took on the features of the father. In a second hybridisation from 2018, between a male Ferruginous duck ( Aythya nyroca ) and a female Mandarin duck ( Aix galericulata ), the hybrids strongly resembled the father. In 2020, the third hybridisation occurred between the male Brazilian teal ( Amazonetta brasiliensis ) and the female Ringed teal ( Callonetta leucophrys ), with their offspring more similar in colour and size to the father. In 2025, two cases of interspecific hybridisation were observed between a male Baikal teal ( Sibirionetta formosa ) and a female Falcated duck ( Mareca falcata ), with the offspring having predominantly dominant paternal traits. The latest case of hybridisation is between a Chestnut teal ( Anas castanea ) and a Wood duck ( Aix sponsa ), with the offspring being intermediate in traits between the species.