Any Scaup genes in this Tufted Duck? (1 Viewer)

SiG · Feb 1, 2009

Seen (from a very long distance, hence these are tiny crops from digiscoped pics) at Moore NR, nr Warrington today. Such a prominent amount of white around the bill base, and such a tiny tuft that it made me look twice; quite a sizeable black blob at the bill tip too, but back darker than flanks ... any reason to think there may be a bit of Scaup in this one? I'd appreciate anyone talking me through the process of eliminating or confirming.

nickderry · Feb 2, 2009

Not necessarily any scaup in it, female tufties can show a lot of white around the bill. The problem is that there is so much individual variation in female aythya, that some female hybrids could well fall within those boundaries and be impossible to detect.

IanF · Feb 2, 2009

I like to at least see just the small black nail rather than a band across the end of the bill and no tuft at all and a hint of white cheek patch.

I think this looks Tufted to me with a lot of white.

SiG · Feb 2, 2009

Thanks. That's how I called it, but my thinking was challenged by others present, all the way home ...!

Colin · Feb 2, 2009

IanF said:
I like to at least see just the small black nail rather than a band across the end of the bill and no tuft at all and a hint of white cheek patch.

I think this looks Tufted to me with a lot of white.

I thought in the first pic that there was only a small black nail on the bill but it is a trick of the light with the photo as on pics 3 and 4 the black band across the bill is clearly shown and I therefore totally second what Ian has said.

Any Scaup genes in this Tufted Duck? (1 Viewer)

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SiG

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C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

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Colin

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