Duck ID (1 Viewer)

Attached are a trio of photos of a duck I saw this April in northern Switzerland just west of the German city of Constance. I have some inkling of what it might be, but would be interested what others make of it. Apologies for the poor quality shots but it was rather distant & I hadn't got used to my new Panasonic FZ10 camera,

John

I think we might be into the wonderful world of Aythya hybrids here. Maybe Ferruginous x Tufted Duck, but I can imagine a lot other possibilities too!

Fifebirder said:

I think we might be into the wonderful world of Aythya hybrids here. Maybe Ferruginous x Tufted Duck, but I can imagine a lot other possibilities too!

Click to expand...

Have to agree on the hybrid theori... - And yes it is a wonderful world with those Aythya-hybrids
The bird on the second photo almost seem to have the body of a male Rosy-billed Pochard! Of course, the head+bill is all wrong...

The reddish brown breast suggests that a Ferrugineous duck was involved...
though the bright yellow eye colour doesn´t fit with the most common ferrugineous duck hybrid (nyroca X ferina -that one has whitish or reddish eyes)

Fifebirder said:

I think we might be into the wonderful world of Aythya hybrids here. Maybe Ferruginous x Tufted Duck, but I can imagine a lot other possibilities too!

Click to expand...

Yup, my conclusion too. The Fruggy/Tuftie option sounds likely enough, but none of the illustrations I could find look quite right. The nearest plumage wise was a Pochard/R-C Pochard cross, but with a bright pink bill not a grey one. The bird was alone but not far away were a few Tufties, Pochard and R-C Pochard,
John

In Gilham, B. & E. , Hybrid ducks - 5th contribution to an inventory,
there is a picture of a drake Redcrested Pochard x Ferrugineous duck, which has the same coloration as this bird here; only thing that does not fit is eye color again, it is white in that other hybrid.
The only thing I am quite sure of is the re must have been a Ferrugineous duck as one parent...

John, the Pochard/R-C Pochard cross you mention, was that from a spanish website.? I have seen this pic and I am not sure if it is really what theythink-as all other hybrids of RC Pochard with Aythyas semes to have at greyish or dark bills, with only few pink tones at the base. I think that birsd might actually be a cross RC Pochard X Rosybill as they mention it was found in a park (in semicaptivity?).