Immature water bird - Alberta Canada (1 Viewer)

[Maroon Jay]

Need help to ID this immature bird. It was alone. No parents looking after it. The only other birds within sight were a PIed-billed Grebe and a Mallard. It is some type of diving bird as it spent a lot of time underwater. I looked at many photos of immature Pied-billed Grebes and they all have an orange bill. This bird has a black bill.

 

[rkj]

It is certainly a duck and not a grebe. I do not know enough about ducklings to tell you what kind it is.

 

[PW23]

Has the look of a Tufted Duck(ling) to me which I think are vagrant in Canada. Not sure where you took this photo. If not a Tufty, perhaps a similar native species e.g. Ring-necked or Scaup?

 

[Maroon Jay]

Sorry, I amended the title to show location. Central Alberta. No Tufted Ducks here.

 

[mummymonkey]

Yes I'd agree with one of the scaups.

 

[Maroon Jay]

Thank you very much.