Blue Winged Teal - Bucks (1 Viewer)

[Periwinkle]

There has been some debate as to whether the recent Blue Winged Teal in Bucks is actually one or a shoveler/shoveler hybrid. What do you think? Two pictures are shown on Bucks Bird Club website.

http://www.hawfinches.freeserve.co.uk

Regards,

Tom

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

It looks like an Australian Shoveler.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

On the bottom picture it looks to have a broad Shoveler-like tip to the bill, although it's very hard to be sure of the exact shape. This maybe a photographic effect. The top picture looks better for BW Teal. Surprisingly hard to be sure though, isn't it.

 

[Dave J]

I agree with Rasmus, plumage wise it does look more like Australasian Shoveler than Blue-winged Teal, specifically the race variegata (New Zealand Shoveler).

 

[Dave J]

The 'broken' and irregular white crescent on the face ofthis bird and the rufous underparts would immediately make me suspicious of this being a Blue-winged Teal.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

The brocken and irregular white crescent also does look better for a hybrid than for Anas rhynchotis, I would think?

 

[Dave J]

I think you're probably right Joern.

 

[Periwinkle]

The brocken and irregular white crescent also does look better for a hybrid than for Anas rhynchotis, I would think?

It has been suggested that it is BWT coming out of eclipse plumage.

 

[Dave J]

It has been suggested that it is BWT coming out of eclipse plumage.

Surely it would of moulted out of eclipse by the beginning of march ?

 

[Periwinkle]

Surely it would of moulted out of eclipse by the beginning of march ?

Maybe but like garganey I am told BWT are late coming out of eclipse.

 

[Dave J]

Are there any other pic.s of this bird anywhere else Periwinkle ?

 

[Xenospiza]

Maybe but like garganey I am told BWT are late coming out of eclipse.

That's true, but they are well on their way in October (own experience).
It should be in full breeding plumage now. The bill, greenish head and the light breast are wrong for Blue-winged Teal - it's an Australian Shoveler or a hybrid - check this hybrid photographed in the Netherlands in May last year: http://www.dutchbirding.nl/pics/temp/bwteal02.jpg

 

[sylvia staffs]

Based on those pictures its a Blue Woinged Teal x Shoveler hybrid for me. The coloration of the head isnt quite right, the bill looks Shoveler like and im not happy with the breast coloration either.

Im sure by now Blue Winged Teals would be in summer plumage all returning Garganey at this time of year are in summer plumage arent they?

Sylvia.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A feature I think you can just about see is that the white crescent seems to extend above the eye (although only as a thin line). This can be, just about, made out on both pictures. I'm not sure Australian Shoveler would show this (or at least I can't find any pictures that show it!). The head colour is difficult to assess and in any case, BW Teal can look to have a greenish head in certain lights. I'm not saying it's a pure BW Teal, but I'm not convinced it's a pure Australian Shoveler either.

 

[Youngbirder18]

I think the crescent is to thick for Australian Shoveler...... The bird certainly doesn't look right for a pure BWT.

 

[Simon M]

The bottom of the two photos show the bird to have a pale iris. This is a feature common to all the mentioned Shoveler species (Australian, NZ and Eurasian) but not of Blue-winged Teal as far as I know. The breast colour is also rather reddish which is pro certain species of Shoveler. I'd agree with Marc that a pure Blue-winged Teal looks a bit of a long shot. Perhaps a hybrid similar to the one shown here:-
http://www.harteman.nl/omnibus/hybrids/index1.html

Cheers

Simon

 

[dbradnum]

There's been a New Zealand Shoveler knocking around very intermittently in the Hertford area (Amwell, Kings Mead) for the last couple of years, I think. It's been reported as BWTeal more than once if I remember right.

Will try to dig out some photos if I have time tonight.

 

[London Birder]

there was also a variagata Aussie Shoveler at Stockers Lake which has been reported as BWT in the past .. not sure if it's still there however

 

[J Jones]

... remember the Aussie Shoveler-type thing at Titchwell?

That Bucks bird isn't a Blue-winged Teal. Looks similar to Aussie Shoveler to me, although as Marc pointed out the extent of the crescent may indicate a hybrid, and as Simon said - the orange shouldn't be there on BWT. Check out that bill as well! BWT:

http://www.virtualbirder.com/vbirder/stimac/BWTeal.jpg

 

[JoanT]

there was also a variagata Aussie Shoveler at Stockers Lake which has been reported as BWT in the past .. not sure if it's still there however

Haven't seen any mention of it for a while now and think it was quite a while ago. Bird was also seen on Broadwater I believe.

David photo of that Amwell bird has been posted on North Bucks birders group
which I understood was a hybrid but I never saw it myself

Joan