Mottled Ducks have been spotted at Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, and this is the best view I’ve gotten so far – with the exception of a few looks through a scope.

Mottled Ducks are frustrating for me. They are a dark brown, medium-sized duck with a bright yellow bill and a black spot at the gape (the spot where the bill meets feathers/head). They also closely resemble a female Mallard duck – and when they are far from view, it’s hard to tell which is which.

Mottled Ducks are on the watch list. They are commonly along the Gulf of Mexico coast and favor open marshy country, wet prairies and rice fields.

At the refuge, they’ve been spotted in a flooded field that refuge staff maintain for migrating shorebirds. I was lucky to arrive when more experienced birders were already set up. They were able to quickly point them out to me, and even let me peek through their scopes to get a better view.