Aythya sp (1 Viewer)

[DarkFireFalcon]

Hi all,

I'm looking for help ID'ing some (terrible) photos of an Aythya sp associating with Ring-necked Ducks in southern Maine, USA.

I'm relatively confident it was an immature male bird, and I'm leaning towards just another Ring-necked Duck, but I wanted some advice on separating it from a young male Tufted Duck.

Structurally it was nearly identical to the nearby Ring-necks (mix of male and females). The main difference was the bill (bluish to the tip with some black on the nail and tip, lacking a white ring near the tip) and the head (solid dark brown, no white patch at the base of the bill. The back was a dark brown, the sides a lighter brown then the back. The head was a uniform brown color, with a slight peak at the back of the crown. I didn't notice the head shape as being much different than the nearby ring-necked ducks, but it looks a bit different in some of the pictures.

Here's a link to the pictures on flickr, with the conversation from the flickr bird ID group:

http://flic.kr/p/dt39E5


Thanks

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

By the way, the bird in question is on the right in image 1, second from the left in image 2, the right in image 3 and 2nd from the left in image 4.

 

[Foxy]

It doesn't look like Ring-necked Duck to me and I would consider either Lesser Scaup or Tufted. I can't really see the slight peak at the back of the crown but taking that as given from your own observations I might have expected some blaze around the bill for Lesser Scaup and it looks a bit big so on balance the picture plus your description would suggest Tufted Duck to me. I would definitely expect some blaze for Greater Scaup

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

I ruled out either scaup species based on the dark color of the back. Tufted Duck is rare but at annual (?) in Maine, so I'd have to be confident to call it that. I posted to the local listserv, but haven't heard anything back yet.

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

What mainly concerns me is; can a tufted duck ever show sides this light?

 

[Foxy]

Yes, very much so. I still think the head shape doesn't look right for Ring-necked, and not convinced for either Scaup. Whilst the pictures aren't conclusive I would throw my hat in the ring for juvenile Tufted.

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

Thanks Foxy, I'll see if I can't get better pictures.

 

[phil baber]

I think this needs discussion
. Hybrid questions may need to be asked
. Not like any Tufty I've seen in Europe...

 

[stevethehydra]

Yeah, this doesn't look right for "pure" Tufted. The light colour goes too high up the flanks and seems to extend to the whole breast (which should be black above the waterline in Tufted as in RND). Trouble is, any Tufted (or RND) x other Aythya hybrids should also have a black breast... I'm wondering about a hybrid between Aythya sp. and Anas sp...