Pekin Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica)

7/25/04 Legg Lake, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, Los Angeles County, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Pekin Duck

SPECIES: Anas platyrhynchos domestica

FAMILY: Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)

LIFE LIST DATE: 7/25/2004

LOCATION: Legg Lake, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, Los Angeles County, CA

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pekin_duck :

The American Pekin duck, Pekin duck, or Long Island duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica, or Anaspeking, is a breed of domestic duck used primarily for egg and meat production. It was bred from the mallard in China. The ancestors of those ducks originated from the canals which linked waterways in Nanjing and originally had small bodies and black feathers. With the relocation of the Chinese capital to Beijing, supply barge traffic increased in the area which would often spill grain on which the ducks fed. Over time, the ducks slowly increased in size and grew white feathers. By the Five Dynasties, the new breed of duck had been domesticated by Chinese farmers. 

The Pekin duck is the most popular commercial duck breed in the United States, after a small number were imported to Long Island from China in 1873 by James Palmer of Stonington, Connecticut. The animals and their meat are sometimes referred to as "Long Island duckling". Around 95% of duck meat consumed in the United States is Pekin duck.