Barcelona early November (1 Viewer)

[mayoayo]

Hi.I digiscoped a few pics of this birds early November in a pond in a wildlife reserve near Barcelona,Spain... I thought it could be a Scaup,....any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[KGS]

Interesting bird. It's not a Greater Scaup, but my feeling is that it may very well be a Lesser.

 

[KGS]

On second though wing-band looks very white also across primaries. Thus probably a Tufted Duck.

 

[MTem]

Looks like one of the increasingly common 'white-faced' female Tufted ducks to me.

 

[lou salomon]

tufted for me too.

 

[Nutcracker]

+ 1 for "Scaup-faced" Tuftie.

Presume these birds are due to introgression of Scaup genes through historical hybridisation?

 

[phil baber]

Pretty common-type female Tufted for me too...

 

[Andy Hurley]

+1 for female Tuftie for the reasons given. I see quite a few white faced female Tufties in Germany, so the idea that it might be a Scaup was one I've looked at quite a few times in the past. There is a pale band on the beak which also cause confusion, but the dark, uniform brown above and the broader black beak tip clinch it as Tufted Duck for me.