British Waterfowl Association

Magpie

Blue and White Magpie ducks in an orchard
Blue and White Magpie Ducks — Colin Murton

The Magpie Duck is standardised in four colours:

  • Black and White
  • Blue and White
  • Chocolate and White
  • Dun and White

The Magpie is included on the RBST‘s watchlist of traditional breeds of poultry.

Chocolate Magpie duck standing on a blue photographer's background
Chocolate Magpie Duck from Richard Sadler — Rupert Stephenson

Light duck breed

Domesticated Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

The Magpie is a very attractive duck with striking plumage. They are great characters; active and very hardy, with an added bonus of being long-lived.

Dun and White Magpie ducks in a field
Dun and White Magpie Ducks — Colin Murton

Although the breed was developed in the 1920s, as a layer and table-bird, it survives mainly today as an exhibition breed. 

For the show bench, the must-have feature is the cap. The patch on the back and scapulars should form a heart-shape and the tail and tail coverts be the relevant colour. There should be a symmetry to the markings, with a crisp and sharply defined outline. The pattern is the same for all four standardised colours.

Magpie ducks in a field
Magpie Ducks — Colin Murton

The Magpie Duck is a very productive layer; good utility strains could produce 180 eggs per year. This is not quite in Campbell or Indian Runner league, but the egg size is far superior.