Mystery duck - any ideas please? Warwickshire UK (1 Viewer)

[HelenJC]

Came across a pair of ducks in a small pond in woodland in south Warwickshire yesterday evening - apologies for the rubbbish phone photo, went back early this morning with my camera but they had gone🙁

Drawn a complete blank on identifying them, now wondering if they may be a hybrid? Teal sized and very distinctly marked.

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[Julie50]

Sorry I cannot help with the ID, someone will.

Welcome to the Forum fellow Midlander

 

[HelenJC]

Sorry I cannot help with the ID, someone will.

Welcome to the Forum fellow Midlander

Thank you!

 

[THE_FERN]

Look like South American ringed teal (and hence escapes). Lower bird has a strange mix of male and female (head pattern) plumage but this might just be an immaturity thing. They're likely a pair with female at the back

 

[delia todd]

Hi Helen and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

Yes, I think The Fern is right, they must have escaped from a collection, as they do not occur on this side of the Atlantic.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

 

[HelenJC]

Look like South American ringed teal (and hence escapes). Lower bird has a strange mix of male and female (head pattern) plumage but this might just be an immaturity thing. They're likely a pair with female at the back

Thank you so much, delighted to hear there isn’t a mysterious British resident duck I had managed to overlook!

 

[stevethehydra]

I think these have to be either hybrids or aberrant/captive-bred colour mutation forms of something - they don't match any normal species!

The body plumage is reminiscent of Ringed Teal, but the head is all wrong, unless there are some really major photo artefacts going on. Ringed Teal are frequently bred in captivity, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are some odd colour forms and/or occasional (deliberately or accidentally produced) hybrids with other small duck species. I can't work out an obvious candidate for the other parent species from this though. Something with a dark head, I guess...

 

[Essex Tern]

I did wonder if there was White-faced whistling duck in the mix.

 

[HelenJC]

Thanks both - the photos are rubbish but do accurately reflect the colour and patterning, especially the clearly defined white patches on the head. Really wish they had hung around until the morning!

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Ringed teal x Wood duck (Callonetta leucophrys x Aix sponsa)

Compare to a bird from Germany :

https://flic.kr/p/BqcS1Z

 

[KC Foggin]

They sure are beautiful ducks!

 

[HelenJC]

Ringed teal x Wood duck (Callonetta leucophrys x Aix sponsa)

Compare to a bird from Germany :

https://flic.kr/p/BqcS1Z

Thank you - definite similarities. I think I’ll just have to accept this is an oddity hat won’t get a definitive answer. A shame, they were lovely ducks!

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Helen, this is a definite ID . Head pattern is highly characteristic in this cross; and the hybrids appearance is confirmed by several captive bred birds with known parentage, even though there are not many photos found in the web currently (a few years ago that was different)

 

[raymie]

Crazy hybrid or abberant something, these are not normal Ringed Teals.

 

[_pauls]

If Joern gives a confident ID on a hybrid duck I think that's generally good enough to be satisfied!

 

[Andy Lakin]

Do keepers/ breeders intentionally allow duck species to hybridise? Obviously ducks will often mate with anything I just wondered if it was sometimes done for aesthetic reasons.