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Falcated Duck in Pong Lake, Himachal Pradesh in 2017-Misidentified (1 Viewer)

Certainly, a hybrid rather than a 'pure' Falcated - Mallard looks a good call for the other parent but from a quick trawl of the internet, it's not too different from Falcated x Wigeon either.
 
I have only seen photos of one single male hybrid mallard x falcated, which looked slightly different.

But this wigeon x falcated duck is close:

http://01271bfede0954168758-da1041207dde8e2d0a75af6fbedebedf.r83.cf1.rackcdn.com/20060305020609.jpg

most have a bit more white on the throat though
https://bioone.org/ContentImages/Journals/jorn/9/2/osj.9.123/graphic/WebImages/f01_123.jpg

but with thsi black bill with the bluegrey triangular areas on the bill sides of the otherwise black bill, i´d say that is a wigeon hybrid , pity one does´t see much of the tertials, they are really different between these two crosses-...
 
another falcata x penelope
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SLE6PoxR...PO1Ta8EVhgqTM2Utlku-FwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0383.jpg

and a hybrid pair falcata x penelope
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AACBE/je2eEbnqieo/w890-h543-no/Beauval-13.jpg

and a dark throated hybrid male falcata x penelope as well
https://www.plumedeau.com/index.php...tion=dlattach;topic=7608.0;attach=24815;image

It is a pity we do not see the tertials of the bird in question well , but there seems to be the end of one long drooping tertial to the right
If that really is a tertial, mallard x falcated hybrid is out as they have rather broader tertials

i have seen photos of a male and an intersex plumaged bird Mallard x falcata, at the moment in the web there´s only the intersex bird found

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D26QAgaU0AAEQKj?format=jpg&name=large

i remember the male havig similar tertials and a greenish head with a dark reddish brown crown - not sure if I am right in all details though
 
Last edited:
I'm sure you're right Joern. I did photograph a Brewer's earlier this year with a lot of brown on its head.
 

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Good photo!

And illustrates nicely the diffeence I mean- your Brewer´s shows a lighter brown cheek than front/forecrown (except perhaps directly beside bill base)

but the Pong lake bird has a darker cheek area than front /forecrown
 
Thank you. It is interesting to me to see the head pattern in this duck. When I asked for identification originally, it was mentioned that falcated duck would surely be a parent - due to the pattern of the head. But when positively identified as having gadwall and mallard parents I thought this must prove that the head pattern of falcated duck was long ago also the pattern of gadwall. Gadwall today show different pattern but have still the genes for the "falcated duck head"? Am I correct in this thought?
 
It seems to be more complicated...
The green patch from around the eye to the rear of the head ist a trait that really appears in a lot of hybrids, but not in each individual.
Another ttrait that appears is a large paler cheek patch divided by a dark line going down from behind the eye over the cheek to the chin.

Essentially the only duck showing ahead pattern close to this pattern today is Baikal teal, therefore this species pattern has often been considered ancestral (at least concerning pattern and coloration)....

Eurasian wigeon x Northern shoveler showing this pattern with both traits:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei92UUqhUP4/VPsomSEOmgI/AAAAAAAAFt4/nVPqJu1K7Zw/s1600/2036.jpg

Gadwall x Mallard showing this pattern with both traits:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...'s_Duck_(Mallard_X_Gadwall)_(40788060371).jpg


Eurasian wigeon x mallard showing the pattern with only a faint stripe over the cheek to the chin

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z7dqtYb...s1600/mallard+wigeon+hybrid+IMG_0623+copy.jpg

American wigeon x mallard showing the pattern

https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagra...=4abdb36674b726bfbaeb55365ff9d371&oe=5FC0831F


There are more examples, also in other crosses .... but not every individual of a certain cross shows the pattern...
 
Joern Lehmhus said:
It seems to be more complicated...
The green patch from around the eye to the rear of the head ist a trait that really appears in a lot of hybrids, but not in each individual.
Another ttrait that appears is a large paler cheek patch divided by a dark line going down from behind the eye over the cheek to the chin.

Essentially the only duck showing ahead pattern close to this pattern today is Baikal teal, therefore this species pattern has often been considered ancestral (at least concerning pattern and coloration)....

Eurasian wigeon x Northern shoveler showing this pattern with both traits:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei92UUqh... wigeon X shoveler is mindblowingly gorgeous!
Click to expand...
 
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