Greater scaup or tufted duck - from India (1 Viewer)

R

Roozbeh Gazdar

Member

• Jan 11, 2018

• #1

Hi,

Can this be conclusively ID'd as either greater scaup of tufted duck?

From Harike wetland, Punjab, India - Dec 2017.

Apart from the rounder head and bulkier body, the almost whitish back , i feel, points to scaup (immature male)

(Tufted, IMO would have a darker back that would show a prominent contrast with the paler flanks.)

 

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S

SteveClifton

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2018

• #2

Tufted Duck in eclipse. Not bulky enough for Scaup and too much black on the bill-tip. The paler 'back' is actually the flank you can see as it rolls over.

 

A

aeshna5

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2018

• #3

Agree.

 

R

Roozbeh Gazdar

Member

• Jan 12, 2018

• #4

Thanks for the help, accepting your opinion.

However, in the first image (where the bird is swimming head-on), the pale back is visible, it is not the flank rolled over.

 

sicklebill

well-known Cretaceous relic

• Jan 12, 2018

• #5

I can't see why this is not a Scaup, looks fat headed to me, also quite rounded headshape, and if that is a pale back as it sure appears to be, then why not?

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Jan 12, 2018

• #6

Not sure I'd like to take a punt on what this might be, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with calling it a Scaup, chiefly because, as Steve pointed out, it has an awful lot of black across the tip of the bill. Then again the grey back does kind of put the kibosh on Tuftie. What else is in the frame in that part of the world?

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jan 12, 2018

• #7

JWN Andrewes said:

What else is in the frame in that part of the world?

Click to expand...

Aythya spp. mapped as occurring in the area:
Common Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Tufted Duck

Not Greater Scaup, other than as a 'mega' rarity :t:

 

R

Roozbeh Gazdar

Member

• Jan 13, 2018

• #8

Thanks all, the pale back keeps niggling me. And while there is a lot of black in the bill, not sure if that is an artifact of the poor quality image though.

As of now I think I will keep this as atheya sp.

 

RafaelMatias

Unknown member

• Jan 13, 2018

• #9

Roozbeh Gazdar said:

Thanks all, the pale back keeps niggling me. And while there is a lot of black in the bill, not sure if that is an artifact of the poor quality image though.

As of now I think I will keep this as atheya sp.

Click to expand...

Hi,
you're right to think it's weird for a Tufted Duck to have a pale "back". But as it's been suggested above, the bird has rolled over its right side (still managing to hold the neck quite straight, as ducks have quite long necks if stretched) in order to scratch its head (as you can see on photo 2). The pale "back" is indeed the left flank. On your 1st pic, even if the left leg is lowered, the body is in the same position as on pic #2 (the dark area to the rear of the body, leveled with the water surface, is the vent). Look also at the wingtip position, clearly showing the bird's body is not in a horizontal stance.
Here's some examples of Tufties doing the rolling/scratching thing:
1. http://c8.alamy.com/comp/BTXEYB/tuf...atching-its-head-with-foot-germany-BTXEYB.jpg
2. http://c8.alamy.com/comp/BBKT8M/tuf...ale-scratching-with-webbed-foot-at-BBKT8M.jpg
3. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKtsV1UZL...12-12.08.41+-+Tufted+Duck+-+Murieston+Dam.jpg
4. http://c8.alamy.com/comp/AB1YWE/tuf...scratching-beak-radipole-lake-rspb-AB1YWE.jpg