Burnham overy dunes, Norfolk UK, 5/2/22 (1 Viewer)

[lastyf1fan]

Hi, I’m a long time reader here but haven’t posted before.
I was birding at burnham overy yesterday and had a small number of female Goldeneye on the sea. With them however was this one with an all orange bill.
I’ve not seen this before on Common Goldeneye but know it is a feature of female Barrows. The forehead did appear more pointed to me than the other goldeneye in the field too but this can change with position etc.

It doesn’t look right for barrows to me, although I have no first hand experience of that species, and the amount of white in the wing would suggest Common, but I did wonder if there might be some hybrid influence here?

In the photos it does look a little like the head may be slightly darker than the accompanying Common too? I can’t say I noticed that in the field though.

Any thoughts? It’s probably just an orange billed Common Goldeneye but I just thought it was worth asking for other opinions on to make sure it isn’t anything more.

Thanks

 

[KenM]

Also, it’s iris is darker (blue/grey?)

Cheers

 

[Butty]

Bare-part colours are the first things in any bird that are liable to show individual variation. Bill-shape and wing-pattern are common goldeneye, so . . .
Darker iris = immature.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1450880489594703873

Maybe ‘Americana’ Goldeneye should be considered, also perhaps variation within Goldeneye is more than we realise. See above.

 

[Andy Strachan]

I noticed something similar when spotting female goldeneye at different places over the last couple of days. They just look a bit different, but probably just angles, age n' all that.

 

[Butty]

They just look a bit different

Head-shape: raising/lowering of feathers.