Water birds, Rajasthan India (1 Viewer)

[rylirk]

Another two dubious photos (there's always a chance that there's some clinching ID feature I don't know about ) from Jodhpur, India in April 2011, in the vicinity of Mernagarh Fort.

1. No clue, Indian Spot-Billed Duck perhaps? Appreciate this may be un-IDable
2. I have this down as Pheasant-Tailed Jacana in my records, but I'm strongly doubting it now... Cotton Pygmy Goose perhaps?

 

[RafaelMatias]

Any chance of larger photos, please?

 

[rylirk]

The photos are heavily cropped, so I can only make them larger artificially. See attached

 

[aeshna5]

Could 1 be a drake Eurasian Wigeon?

 

[THE_FERN]

That was my immediate thought. Second might be immature pheasant-tailed. Some plumage details look a little off but difficult to be sure given image.

 

[johnallcock]

My impression for #1 was also Wigeon but I'm not sure. I think this is unidentifiable, I'm afraid.
I don't think #2 is a Jacana. The structure looks rather like a Moorhen to me, but again I don't think you can say for sure what this is from the photo.

 

[Nutcracker]

Rallidae of some sort. Moorhen, or possibly a juvenile swamp-hen?

 

[rylirk]

From eBird data, the rails expected in the area would be common coot, common moorhen, grey-headed swamphen and white-breasted waterhen. I'm struggling to see Bird 1 as either Coot or Moorhen personally; I'm not at all familiar with the swamphen, but I can't find any pictures with plumage like this. Waterhen looks to be the closest match to me, but I'm struggling to resolve that as well if I'm honest! Might have to stay as a ???

 

[rylirk]

Here's the wider photo if it helps, with size comparison to a couple of red-wattled lapwings and a little cormorant. A little on the large side for moorhen too I think?

 

[lou salomon]

still looks like a young moorhen.

 

[Nutcracker]

still looks like a young moorhen.

Me too. The size comparison in the new pic counts swamphens out, definitively

 

[rylirk]

Fair enough! Have updated it to moorhen and struck the jacana from my life list