Duck is a kosher bird. Provided that the duck has been slaughtered by a qualified shochet and properly salted, duck meat is a perfectly kosher food. Like all other meat, it would need to be cooked with kosher utensils and kept separate from milk or dairy products.
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I heard that only certain color varieties of duck is kosher. Is there any truth in that?
I have heard something like that regarding certain types of chicken, and it is possible that this applies to ducks as well. We only eat birds about which we have a tradition that they are kosher, and at times birds that are classified scientifically or culturally as related may be distinguished from one another by Torah law if there is a tradition about one kind that it is kosher but not about the other. I am not aware of specific examples for ducks, but given that they require kosher slaughter in order to eat, one can rely that the slaughterer and supervising rabbi have ensured that the bird is among the kosher kinds.
Tzemech Tzedek 29 brought by Chasam Sofer (shu"t YD 74) rules that wild ducks are not kosher. One may rely on the slaughterer and supervising rabbi for meat, but when it comes to eggs no slaughter is required. Therefore on must be careful to buy and eat eggs only from kosher birds. (See also Kaf HaChaim Y”D 82:23)
That's interesting. Does that mean that only ducks raised to be eaten are kosher?
To my understanding the OU certifies all mallard ducks that do not have black colored beaks, while Star-K kosher certification only approves Pekin ducks (the prevailing domesticated breed). So, it seems that practices vary.