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Duck ID (Cumbria, UK) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gillean55
- Start date
paddyluke
Well-known member
some sort of Smew?
Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
Certainly a hybrid of some sort, with Goldeneye as one parent.
gillean55
Well-known member
Many thanks paddyluke and Welsh Peregrine - a Goldeneye-Smew hybrid looks like a good bet! eg:
Smart looking animal. The bottom specimen at this link seems to be the same type.
birdhybrids.blogspot.com
Common Goldeneye x Smew
Common Goldeneye x Smew hybrid, Rauma (SW Finland), late April or early May 2017 - copyright Henry Lehto (photo ID: 3221) Here is a v...
birdhybrids.blogspot.com
Talster
Well-known member
Hello from another Cumbrian
It certainly looks like a hybrid, definitely got the look of a male Goldeneye (especially the colour of the head and the look of the beak).
For comparison, here's a picture of a Goldeneye (male and female).
Alexander Stöhr
Well-known member
Hello,
I agree with all, that this is a Goldeneye x Smew. I must admit, that I am biased. It’s said to be a quite frequent hybrid combination, so if I see pictures that resembles a strikingly strange Goldeneye, this hybrid comes into my mind.
A question: I read many times, that this is a regular hybrid but I haven’t seen a wild one in the field yet.
that’s different to Canada x Greylag, where I have seen many or Tufted Duck, where presumed or sure returning birds surely account for multiple sightings.
I hope for Jörn or others to jump in and answer my question. Thanks
I agree with all, that this is a Goldeneye x Smew. I must admit, that I am biased. It’s said to be a quite frequent hybrid combination, so if I see pictures that resembles a strikingly strange Goldeneye, this hybrid comes into my mind.
A question: I read many times, that this is a regular hybrid but I haven’t seen a wild one in the field yet.
that’s different to Canada x Greylag, where I have seen many or Tufted Duck, where presumed or sure returning birds surely account for multiple sightings.
I hope for Jörn or others to jump in and answer my question. Thanks
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Goldeneye x Smew, as said.
Most photos i know of this hybrid are from spring in Sweden /Finland (breeding areas for both species). but there were some wintering birds also in Germany, even returning ones.
Canada x Greylag and also Tufted duck hybrids are also in their breeding range here in Germany, and then there is the issue of population sizes (smaller in Smew and Goldeneye than in the other species , I think)
Most photos i know of this hybrid are from spring in Sweden /Finland (breeding areas for both species). but there were some wintering birds also in Germany, even returning ones.
Canada x Greylag and also Tufted duck hybrids are also in their breeding range here in Germany, and then there is the issue of population sizes (smaller in Smew and Goldeneye than in the other species , I think)
Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
On balance of probabilities as there were Goldeneye nearby, and I am not sure Smew x Bufflehead hybrids have been recorded.
Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
Looks different.
check out AVES 16 page 27
on page 21-22 you find smew x common goldeneye
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