ID Bird, Torquay (1 Viewer)

[Militaryairshows]

Can anyone identify this bird which was on a pond in Torquay, UK.



Thanks, Dave

 

[InternetMan]

Pale version of an Egyptian?

 

[aeshna5]

Pale version of an Egyptian?

Yes, a leucistic bird.

 

[osprey123]

Looks more like a Ruddy Shelduck to me!

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Ruddy shelduck x ???? or leucistic ruddy shelduck?

 

[Nutcracker]

Ruddy Shelduck normally has a black bill - can leucism affect bare parts colour as well as feathers?

 

[daniel o]

Has a mandarin feel to me? bill shape + colour, leg colour, head shape, etc.

 

[stevethehydra]

Strange looking thing! Definitely a (probably selectively bred) leucistic morph of something. Head and bill shape don't look right for Egyptian Goose to me - perhaps more like Aix sp (probably more likely Mandarin than Wood Duck with the residual colour it has). How big was it? Egyptian would be noticeably bigger than a Mallard, Mandarin would be noticeably smaller (at least if we're talking wild-type Mallards - the biggest and smallest domestic breeds might approach each respectively).

 

[Militaryairshows]

Here is another better photo of this duck.

I can now see the Mandarin shape of the body and bill. Would this be a leucistic female Mandarin?

Thanks

Dave

 

[Nutcracker]

Looking much more like a leucistic breed of domesticated Mandarin Duck now!

 

[stevethehydra]

Definitely - I'd say more likely a male because of the red bill (although I don't know if females can also have a red bill in leucistic morphs...)