What is it ? (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

A resident on my local pond, the only one present. Hangs around the Tufted Ducks and is a diver just like them.

It has no tuft and the head is a Pochard brown darkening down to an almost black chest. It looks dark brown in the photos taken in overcast conditions but it is actually quite markedly russet brown. On the pond the eye looked as if it glowed red, but on the photos it's two tone - red outer and yellow inner. The flanks and back are clearly two tone grey.

Me thinks it may be a Pochard / Tufted Duck hybrid, though it is diffrent to those listed in my Collins. Naturally I'd like it to be a Redhead as some have been claimed locally, but I have my doubts.

Two photos enclosed.

Anyone else offer an opinion ?

Mystery Duck

 

[Paul Rule]

Looks like a Scaup me

 

[Christoph]

to me, its a male common pochard...

Christoph

 

[oldsquaw]

Looks like a lesser scaup. The head has a smallish crest, where greaters are rounded. This bird also shows a purple irridescence, with is common in lessers. The bill is not very heavy as in greaters.

 

[Paul Rule]

On the other hand could be a Pochard X Frerrugginous Duck Hybrid (see Collins Guide)

 

[Nina P]

Ian I've just looked up your beautiful duck photo, and I have a picture in my,rspb, complete book of birds and they have a picture of the same bird and I QUOTE" Male in its first winter develops cleaner black and white plumage and shorter crest", Hope that helps you out Nina.

 

[oldsquaw]

Ian, You might want to look at several other lessers. Here are several sites:

www.holoweb.com/cannon/lesser.htm
www.zenzero.com/ducks/ducks02.html
www.wingsoverwaterimages.com/LesserScaupw12.jpg

The first site has one that looks very much like yours. Best,

van

 

[Lawrie Hodges]

Van
Your third url should read jpg not lpg.

 

[jeff]

I'm still new to all this, so forgive me if what i've been told is wrong.

I have been told that scaup have a small black nail on the end of the bill. In link 2 and 3 this is the case, but not in the first or in Ians picture.

Does that mean the bird in link 1 has been wrongly identified or have i been incorrectly informed.

Still confused, but still trying.............. one day it will all fall into place.

 

[Edward]

I think this a definite hybrid, but what it's parents are is hard to say. Scaup x Pochard perhaps?

 

[cjay]

Its an anthya Hybird between Pochard & scaup

 

[Paul Rule]

Is it actually possible to 100% ID a hybrids parentage without dna testing?

 

[T0ny]

In this month's Birding World is an article on hybrid ducks, and several pix show apparent hybrids between Tufted Duck and Pochard, giving rise to a 'Lesser Scaup-like' male, which apparently is the commonest such hybrid recorded in Europe.

The pix on pp 64 and 66 show birds remarkably like yours, Ian. The slight crest rules out Lesser Scaup itself, as does the head colour - a true Lesser Scaup would have a violet/green gloss on the head.

Tony

 

[oldsquaw]

After looking at the photo again, I agree scaup hybrid, my guess a Ferruginous or Pochard/Lesser Scaup. The color looks more reddish than any thing I've seen here in the states, except Redhead & Canvasback. The small tuft/crest looks typical of lesser scaup. The bill doesn't look greater, but with hybrids, who knows which characteristic will be dominant. Ian's first photo shows the typical Lesser Scaup head and the color wasn't that far off of a lesser. The second does show a different color than any Lessers I've noted. I've never seen a wild Pochard or Ferruginous Duck.

 

[T0ny]

I've never had the pleasure of seeing Lesser Scaup in the wild, so I'm going purely by published photos.

Tony

 

[IanF]

Thanks for the replies and opinions everyone. I'm still inclined to go with the Pochard / Tufted hybrid since they are both so common on this pond. Having said that Pochard and Scaup turn up pretty comonly on the other ponds within a mile or so.
Ferruginous is possible though I've never heard or any locally as is the Redhead, but the ID features don't quite fit.
The head is definitely a reddish brown, slightly darker than a true Pochard but sharing the dark/black chest.

 

[Colin]

This certainly looks superficially like a Pochard/Tufted Duck hybrid. There has been a similar bird at Slimbridge this winter, free flying and mixing with the wintering Pochard flock.

Colin

 

[Darrell Clegg]

Hybrid ducks - don't you just love em!!

I'd agree with you Ian that this is a Pochard x Tufted Duck. The Pochard element can be seen from the brown/red head and gray back. The Tufted Duck parentage is responsible for the white(ish) flanks, the yellow eye and the bump on the head, giving it the 'Lesser Scaup' outline.
True Lesser Scaup has a violet/green head as TOny points out. It also has a much darker grey back which is heavily vermiculated. The clincher if you find a potential Lesser Scaup is to look at the bill - only the nail is black, and the rest of the bill is grey. On this bird the whole base is black.

 

[Common2412]

Looks like a Lesser Scaup to me.

Steve

 

[RobLittle]

I would definitely go with the Pocahard x Tufted Duck hybrid theory. This bird is the same or very similar to one that has been seen several times in the Teesmouth area over the last 3 or 4 winters.