The Magpie is a Welsh breed from the years just after the First World War, developed by Oliver Drake and M. C. Gower Williams, and it is defined by a marking pattern rather than a body type: a coloured cap on the crown and a coloured mantle across the back and shoulders, on an otherwise white bird. Getting that pattern right is genuinely difficult — it is controlled by more than one gene, drifts toward all-white with age, and even good pairs throw badly marked ducklings — which is part of why the breed stayed rare. Underneath the markings it is a light, active, long-bodied utility duck that lays well, forages hard, and stays lean. Expect a bird that is alert and quick rather than a placid pet.
Beginner friendly
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Broody
Flighty
Egg colorWhite Or Blue Green
Egg production120–180 / year
TemperamentFlighty
BroodinessOccasional
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs, Meat, Show
FlightFlightless
Weight
Duck4.5–5.5 lb
Drake5–6 lb
How to spot it
Bill
Yellow to orange, greening with age
Carriage
About 20–30° above horizontal, on a longer and lighter frame than its weight suggests
Plumage
White with a coloured crown patch and a heart-shaped coloured mantle over the back — in black, blue or chocolate
Legs & feet
Orange
Look for
The two-tone 'saddle' — coloured back and skullcap, white everywhere else
