Wood Duck in UK

[frozen]

A few weeks ago I took a couple of pics of a 'pair of pretty ducks' in a small lake in the UK. Happened to look them up in Collins Bird Guide and they're Wood Ducks, which it goes on to describe as vagrant to the UK with "Only one or a very few records per decade."

So have I really just got once in a decade pics?

I'll post once I figure how.

[London Birder]

unlikely frozen, Wood Duck is a relatively common bird in wildfowl collections due to its dazzling looks ...

[frozen]

LB

I read that too in the guide where it says there are occasional escapees. Well these two were in the wild - no fences or anything.

Any better?

[robinm]

Hi frozen,

A warm welcome to BirdForum from all the Moderators and Admin.

I am afraid it very unlikely these are wild. As LB says, they are popular in collections and sometimes birds "make a break for it". I suspect a collection somewhere in Oxfordshire is missing 2 Wood Duck.

[London Birder]

LB

I read that too in the guide where it says there are occasional escapees. Well these two were in the wild - no fences or anything.

Any better?

unfortunately not frozen as Wood Duck does escape and is occasionally introduced onto lakes etc for ornamental purposes ... mind you if they have an American ring on them then you're about to rock the UK birding world ...

[robinm]

Looking at BBRC records I don't think there has ever been an accpted record in the UK.

[London Birder]

nope not as yet ... haven't met Cat C criteria either

[Docmartin]

Looking at BBRC records I don't think there has ever been an accpted record in the UK.


You're right. Wood Duck is in Category E and all records are known or presumed to refer to escapees.

[frozen]

Robin

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll keep an eye out for them as I'm hopefully buying a place near to where I saw them.

LB

I'll keep an eye out for a ring! As an aside - because I know you're joking - are there any national differences to rings - colours? - that you could see from distance?

Still can't seem to post them any they're under 100k - is there a problem with pics right now?

[London Birder]

some Wood Ducks (aka Carolina Duck) will be ringed by collection managers, but equally many are not, intrestingly though I've been informed by one collection curator that they are a bugger to breed successfully (unlike close relative Mandarin Duck) ... as for national differences to do with rings I can't comment I'm afraid ... though I'm only 2/3'rds joking as, IMHO, it's worth checking any Wood Duck for interesting rings ... there have been the odd records which seem to have decent credentials i.e. location (say SW England) and time of year, and some would argue that it has occured as a vagrant, problem is that because they are widely kept in collections it would need some very firm evidence to get accepted as such ...

[frozen]

Here are the ducks for anyone that's interested...

Anyone see an American flag?

Edited to add: just noticed a female with them in another shot...

[London Birder]

two cracking males ... very nice, tickable or not

[redeyedvideo]

two cracking males ... very nice, tickable or not



Not


Dave J B (:

[London Birder]

no shit Sherlock ;-)

[frozen]

Hello again everyone. Would appreciate expert opinion with the attached photo. I'm happy with the male and female wood ducks, but who's their regular companion in the middle?

JB

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It's a White-cheeked Pintail.

[StuartReeves]

It's a White-cheeked Pintail.

...and hence another escape unfortunately.

Stuart

[frozen]

Thank you both. There seem to be more escapees in the local pond than residents - now 3 wood duck males, 1 (popular) female and now this guy. Are the wood ducks likely to reproduce?

JB

[Touche]

There seem to be more escapees in the local pond than residents - now 3 wood duck males, 1 (popular) female and now this guy. Are the wood ducks likely to reproduce?

Highly probable the three male woodies will mount an attempt...

Just need a nice nesting spot for the baby woodies to be successful.

Lets the hope they fly down to Cornwall and cause a ticker-kerfuffle.

Looks like the inmates of a local duck emporium have jailbreaked big time.

[AmpelisChinito]

In America, if a species has been nesting for 10 years and produces a small population, it is countable, er "tickable". If the WODUs did that there would they be countable? and if not, then what are the standards?

[bitterntwisted]

In America, if a species has been nesting for 10 years and produces a small population, it is countable, er "tickable". If the WODUs did that there would they be countable? and if not, then what are the standards?
In the UK, most people use the BOU list and if the BOU admit to category C then it is "tickable". BOU Category C has no specific timeframe, but the officialese is listed below and can be seen at http://www.bou.org.uk/reccats.html.

Since admission or otherwise to category C has serious conservation implications it is speculated that there a lot of politics and even Politics involved. This is eminently plausible in the light of the Ruddy Duck fiasco. There was a recent thread which explained the relationship in this regard between BOU, BBRC, BTO and DEFRA (Government Dept.) I'll try to find it.

Graham

Category C: Species that, although introduced, now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations.

C1 Naturalized introduced species – species that have occurred only as a result of introduction, e.g. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus

C2 Naturalized established species - species with established populations resulting from introduction by Man, but which also occur in an apparently natural state, e.g. Greylag Goose Anser anser

C3 Naturalized re-established species - species with populations successfully re-established by Man in areas of former occurrence, e.g. Red Kite Milvus milvus

C4 Naturalized feral species - domesticated species with populations established in the wild, e.g. Rock Pigeon (Dove)/Feral Pigeon Columba livia .

C5 Vagrant naturalized species - species from established naturalized populations abroad, e.g. possibly some Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea occurring in Britain. There are currently no species in category C5.

C6 Former naturalized species – species formerly placed in C1 whose naturalized populations are either no longer self-sustaining or are considered extinct, e.g. Lady Amherst's Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae.

[Isurus]

...and hence another escape unfortunately.

Stuart

hee hee. meanwhile I can scope a decent population of wild white cheeked pintail from my balcony but had to write off the first mallardy thing I;ve seen here the other day as an escape.

[david kelly]

Thank you both. There seem to be more escapees in the local pond than residents - now 3 wood duck males, 1 (popular) female and now this guy. Are the wood ducks likely to reproduce?

JB
They might try but Wood Ducks are not very successful at nesting in the wild in the UK. I read somewhere that the reason is that where Wood Ducks breed the average spring and summer temperatures are much higher than the norm in the UK, and in many areas in the Manadarin's natural range, and Wood Ducks do not brood their eggs and young as much as Mandarins so they are more susceptible to cold weather. This was the theory as to why Mandarin was so successful in the UK but Wood Duck has failed to become established.

David

[Farnboro John]

They are not likely to be seriously considered even in SW Britain as there are introduced ones on Scilly.

One with an American ring singing the Star Spangled Banner might do it.....

John

[frozen]

Thanks everyone - I'll keep you posted if they do buy a place and set-up. They certainly look comfortable in situ. I'll also keep an eye for a ring - I've NEVER seen them out of the water so far, so you never know...

Thanks for all your inputs.

[Hrafn]

Isn't Iceland the only European country accepting them?
Two were discovered in Iceland last spring while a Pied-Billed Grebe, Laughing gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls, Green-Winged Teals, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon and Long-billed Dowitcher were also found..

Edward wrote thoroughly about those findings in his diary.. (http://www.gaviatravel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=27)

This one was at Rif on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the far west of the country..
http://simnet.is/hrafns/brudond.jpg

[Joe Ray]

Wood Ducks have turned up on the Hebridies before, surely a likely spot if they're genuine vagrants. Also, Mandarin is in Cat C is it not? This species has established feral breeding populations and has become tickable. Aren't there a couple of feral populations of Wood Ducks as well?

[Tav94]

Wood Ducks have turned up on the Hebridies before, surely a likely spot if they're genuine vagrants. Also, Mandarin is in Cat C is it not? This species has established feral breeding populations and has become tickable. Aren't there a couple of feral populations of Wood Ducks as well?
Did see one on the river Plym last week later herd there were two about.