Drake (Eurasian Wigeon hybrid?) - Bucharest, Romania (1 Viewer)

[Cristian Mihai]

Pics taken on January 26th 2023.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Christian,

I agree with you, looks like an hybrid for me too.
As you know, head pattern in Wigeon is slightly variabel, with a dark and/ or greenish patch around the eye regular present.
But very elongated rear end and long tail points towards a Pintail imo. And biased by this, I think I can detect elongated scapulars good, in a good shape for a Pintail-Hybrid.
And I can’t loose the feeling, that the head is too small in relation to the long and plump/muscular body for a pure Wigeon.

And well spotted and thanks for sharing, Christian! I must admit, I would have surely overlooked this bird when seeing this under normal field conditions. Does this mean, It’s an backcross with a Wigeon for me?
I can’t answer that, and hope as always for Jörn and others to jump in. Thanks!

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Hello Christian,

I agree with you, looks like an hybrid for me too.
As you know, head pattern in Wigeon is slightly variabel, with a dark and/ or greenish patch around the eye regular present.
But very elongated rear end and long tail points towards a Pintail imo. And biased by this, I think I can detect elongated scapulars good, in a good shape for a Pintail-Hybrid.
And I can’t loose the feeling, that the head is too small in relation to the long and plump/muscular body for a pure Wigeon.

And well spotted and thanks for sharing, Christian! I must admit, I would have surely overlooked this bird when seeing this under normal field conditions. Does this mean, It’s an backcross with a Wigeon for me?
I can’t answer that, and hope as always for Jörn and others to jump in. Thanks!

Thank you for your reply, Alexander!

 

[aeshna5]

Must confess I'm not convinced this is a hybrid!

 

[Butty]

Scapulars and tertials look normal - and I don't see any features suggestive of pintail other than (perhaps?) the longish tail. I'd guess a regular wigeon with aberrant head plumage - and a longer-than-usual tail?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Butty,

thanks to you, Aeshna and Lou for correction.
You are right about the scapulars, but I still get a strange feeling about the tail.
I found this: https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/im...9a5babee09478332/version/1648628998/image.jpg
https://www.fokus-natur.de/Image/pfeifente-anas_penelope-34082.jpg (not so extreme like this bird here)

I still have two questions:
Is the tail-shape enhanced by perspective and some distortion effect of the picture/optics? Or just within variation for a pure Wigeon?
Same for the long pale yellow-cream forehead reaching to the hind-neck (and still contrasting and broad? there). Thanks !

 

[lou salomon]

no distortion in these perfectly lateral views I think. But if you search pics with male wigeon, tail length appears quite variable. And as you know, it acctually has a longer (and pointed) tail than other dabbling ducks except for pintail. since bill doesn't show any difference in shape and colouring to penelope (as is most of its plumage) I'd guess this is a more or less pure Eurasian Wigeon.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Thanks Lou for the fast reaction and your detailed comment!

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

It does not seem to be a first generation cross, as body plumage is perfect for Eurasian.
We can not exclude that in such birds could be some American wigeon genes-- But we also can not exclude the alternative that it could be just a colour variant Eurasian wigeon . There are birds intermediate in head pattern ; while being a perfect match to either Eurasian or to American wigeon from body plumage .
we know that the two species are very closely related (= shared a common ancestor) ; and hybrids are fertile ; and interbreeding occurs in the wild...