SW Florida (USA) - Duck, Shoveler or hybrid? (1 Viewer)

[Fandango739]

I took these photos at a distance yesterday in Lehigh Acres, FL. I had thought them all Mottled, but one of them obviously is not. Is the duck simply a female Northern Shoveler or is it a possible Shoveler - Mottled hybrid?

Thanks!

 

[rkj]

I am confused by your question. The bird in the first and third photos looks just like the others in the second photo. All look good for Mottled Duck, though possibly they have some degree of hybridization with Mallards.

 

[Fandango739]

The sloped face is part of what is throwing me. Mottleds tend to have a steeper forehead. Compare with the bird to the far right. I'm not sure that Mallard would explain that. The bill is also darker than standard Mottleds. There's a lot of dark on that bill.

It could just my eyesight, but this bird seems strange to me.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

It is just a mottled duck. The angle and if a bird has wettened neck and head feathers or dry feathers there can very much change the impression of head shape; also if feathers are fluffed or not ...

the latter is very pronounced for example in Gadwall (see examples below) , but something like that can also be seen in the other ducks (including mottled)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Gadwall-Anas-strepera.jpg

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/og/75360821-1200px.jpg

 

[birdmeister]

I think only the rightmost bird looks right for pure Mottled. Both the females whose bills we can see show a more Mallard-like pattern of orange with dark saddle. I believe pure Mottled females show a uniform dull yellowish bill.

 

[rkj]

I think only the rightmost bird looks right for pure Mottled. Both the females whose bills we can see show a more Mallard-like pattern of orange with dark saddle. I believe pure Mottled females show a uniform dull yellowish bill.

An orange bill with black markings may be ok for pure Mottled Duck. The pdf linked to here: Identifying hybrid Mottled Ducks - eBird gives a detailed breakdown of identifying hybrids between Mottled and Mallard.

 

[birdmeister]

An orange bill with black markings may be ok for pure Mottled Duck. The pdf linked to here: Identifying hybrid Mottled Ducks - eBird gives a detailed breakdown of identifying hybrids between Mottled and Mallard.

Thanks for sharing that article! Great read and new info for me, although not too bright in terms of pure Mottled Duck ancestry through much of the South.