ID confirnation please - Romania (1 Viewer)

crs

Well-known member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #1

I have photographed these birds yesterday and I was confused by the reddish colour of the plumage. Could you please tell me if these birds are Mallards in eclipse plumage?

Cristian

 

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Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 28, 2014

• #2

Yes :t:

 

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jul 28, 2014

• #3

The two outside ones are females and the middle one is male in what looks to me to be a male in eclipse plumage, all Mallard.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 28, 2014

• #4

Andy Hurley said:

The two outside ones are females and the middle one is male in what looks to me to be a male in eclipse plumage, all Mallard.

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Left bird has a yellow bill, so is eclipse male. Right bird has a browner bill so is female. Middle bird is unsexable as its bill is hidden.

 

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jul 28, 2014

• #5

Ok, I'll go with that for the left bird, but the plumage on the middle one looks more like a male not fully in eclipse to me.

 

crs

Well-known member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #6

I have a second photo showing the bill of the bird in the middle. It looks ywllow to me so it should be a female.

Cristian

 

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Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jul 28, 2014

• #7

A yellow bill would mean male, but I'm seeing a dark culmen, and the dark and grey on the back from the original has gone so must have been shadow. I think on this photo that the middle bird is female.

 

crs

Well-known member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #8

Thank you Nutcracker and Andy for the answers.
Yes Andy, I wrote wrong, the yellow bill shows a male.
The photos have been taken within two seconds so the birds are in the same position in both of them.

Cristian

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 28, 2014

• #9

Tough with the birds being small in the pic, but I'm thinking the middle bird has a yellow bill as well, so male.