Long Beach Island, New Jersey---Duck Species (1 Viewer)

[anonymousbirder]

Hi,
The other day, I saw a species of duck in LBI, New Jersey that I couldn't identify. I got some pictures, but they're rather grainy. Still, adding them in case they help. The female out in front of the group had a mainly white body with orange or light brown spots. I took the pictures of the lone duck about 5 minutes later after the group had passed beyond my sight. In the intervening time I had left to try to get a better angle to see the main group and then returned. It's possible he's unrelated, but given the proximity, I thought it likely that he was of the same species. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Butty]

Domestic ducks

 

[anonymousbirder]

Domestic ducks

Thank you!

 

[aeshna5]

Agree family are Mallards with domestic ancestry, the solo duck looks rather like a Gadwall to me, but image quality is poor.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
when I first saw the pictures of the lone Duck, they gave a Gadwall-impression to me, too, but then I realised that this is a bad pitfall picture:

• Shape seemed unusual in all pictures with square, high-fronted head, to plump high ended rear (resulting in a domestic-jizz)
• In the first picture the colours looked good, including the right grey shade, but in the others the tone looked more "plastic-brown"=Widgeon-colour.
• The white patch seems to be at the wrong place for a Gadwall, but difficult to judge.

Conclusion? I am in the Domestic Duck-camp for this, too, but happy to be corrected.

 

[THE_FERN]

Hello,
when I first saw the pictures of the lone Duck, they gave a Gadwall-impression to me, too, but then I realised that this is a bad pitfall picture:

• Shape seemed unusual in all pictures with square, high-fronted head, to plump high ended rear (resulting in a domestic-jizz)
• In the first picture the colours looked good, including the right grey shade, but in the others the tone looked more "plastic-brown"=Widgeon-colour.
• The white patch seems to be at the wrong place for a Gadwall, but difficult to judge.

Conclusion? I am in the Domestic Duck-camp for this, too, but happy to be corrected.

I agree with all of this. Second picture made me think transiently of American wigeon but of course white flank patch is in the wrong place. To certain, better pics!

 

[aeshna5]

Hello,
when I first saw the pictures of the lone Duck, they gave a Gadwall-impression to me, too, but then I realised that this is a bad pitfall picture:

• Shape seemed unusual in all pictures with square, high-fronted head, to plump high ended rear (resulting in a domestic-jizz)
• In the first picture the colours looked good, including the right grey shade, but in the others the tone looked more "plastic-brown"=Widgeon-colour.
• The white patch seems to be at the wrong place for a Gadwall, but difficult to judge.

Conclusion? I am in the Domestic Duck-camp for this, too, but happy to be corrected.

Yes thought the white patch wasn't in the right place for Gadwall which is why I added the caveat about the image.

 

[anonymousbirder]

Agree family are Mallards with domestic ancestry, the solo duck looks rather like a Gadwall to me, but image quality is poor.

Hello,
when I first saw the pictures of the lone Duck, they gave a Gadwall-impression to me, too, but then I realised that this is a bad pitfall picture:

• Shape seemed unusual in all pictures with square, high-fronted head, to plump high ended rear (resulting in a domestic-jizz)
• In the first picture the colours looked good, including the right grey shade, but in the others the tone looked more "plastic-brown"=Widgeon-colour.
• The white patch seems to be at the wrong place for a Gadwall, but difficult to judge.

Conclusion? I am in the Domestic Duck-camp for this, too, but happy to be corrected.

Thank you!