Dabbling duck · Duck ID

Mottled duck

Anas fulvigula · A warm-brown, mallard-like duck of the Gulf Coast. A key Louisiana bird.

Hen. Photo: DickDaniels (https://theworldbirds.org/) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Length: 18–22 in
Weight: 1.8–2.6 lb
Wingspan: 30–33 in
Group: Dabbling duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a mottled duck

Drake

Warm brown body, plain buffy face and neck with no streaks on the chin, and a bright yellow bill. Sexes are similar.

Hen

Like the drake, but the bill is duller orange-olive with dark spotting.

In flight

Dark body and white underwings. Teal-green to blue speculum with little or no white on the front edge.

Look-alikes

Mallard: Hen mallards have white on both edges of the speculum and an orange bill with a dark saddle.
American black duck: Black ducks are darker, with a gray-brown head and a violet speculum.

Photos

Mottled duck gallery

Mottled duck: Drake — **Drake**DickDaniels (http://theworldbirds.org/) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Mottled duck: In flight — **In flight**Russ · CC BY 2.0 · source

2026-27 bag limits

Mottled duck limits in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas

State	Mottled duck daily limit	Possession	Total daily ducks	Source
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	1 a day	3 times the daily limit Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)	6 ducks a day	MDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026 Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	1 a day	3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day	6 ducks a day	TWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026 Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	1 a day	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Arkansas rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana has its own limits, including a closed first 15 days for mottled ducks: see the Louisiana rules.

Mid-South

When and where on public land

Timing

A year-round resident of the Louisiana and Texas coast; rare in the Mississippi Delta and farther north.

Habitat

Coastal marshes and rice fields in Louisiana. Louisiana closes mottled ducks for the first 15 days of its regular season (see the Louisiana rules page).