Wild, dead and feral - UK (1 Viewer)

[LaplandBunting]

Hi all,

Any help on these three would be greatly appreciated - I do apologise for the quality as they are all phone pictures.

1 (pics 1 and 2) - Scaup or Tufted Duck? Common sense would say Tufted but quite extensive white around the bill base and flat head has me 50-50 on this one.

2 (pic 3) - Emperor Geese or Snow Geese? Two feral birds hanging with the Greylags - I assume Emperor Geese as oppose to blue morph Snow Geese?

3 (pic 4) - Razorbill or Guillemot? Dead on the shore - I assume a juv Razorbill based on the beak.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

1 is a Greater Scaup, please note monster bill in the right shape, large rounded head in relation to body and straight curved border between flanks and wings.

2 might be Snow Geese. First impression is somewhat strange. Dont know the reason for this, might be picture quality or are they hybrids? Right bird has a blackish bill with a pink tinge and a neck pattern ghosting an Emperor Goose (but with the black not reaching the chin). I googled some pictures and found that juvenile Snow Goose has a dark bill. So the reason for the strange feeling in these geese might be, that I havent enough experience with variation of Snow Geese.
Conclusion? Joern or others, please help!

3 is a Guillemot spec and one for the real experts. If blown up, i just see more pixels and cant make out details, let alone find what might be a bill. As allways no offense.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

would need more pictures of the geese . They look hybrid, maybe snow x emperor, but not sure...

 

[LaplandBunting]

Hello,

1 is a Greater Scaup, please note monster bill in the right shape, large rounded head in relation to body and straight curved border between flanks and wings.

2 might be Snow Geese. First impression is somewhat strange. Dont know the reason for this, might be picture quality or are they hybrids? Right bird has a blackish bill with a pink tinge and a neck pattern ghosting an Emperor Goose (but with the black not reaching the chin). I googled some pictures and found that juvenile Snow Goose has a dark bill. So the reason for the strange feeling in these geese might be, that I havent enough experience with variation of Snow Geese.
Conclusion? Joern or others, please help!

3 is a Guillemot spec and one for the real experts. If blown up, i just see more pixels and cant make out details, let alone find what might be a bill. As allways no offense.

No offence taken! :t:

Thanks for your help - the reason I assumed Emperor Geese is because that's how they have been reported by other local birders but I wasn't convinced in the field although I could certainly see a strong argument for them being so.

Scaup and Guillemot partly as expected.

 

[LaplandBunting]

would need more pictures of the geese . They look hybrid, maybe snow x emperor, but not sure...

That's a good shout - I hadn't really considered hybrids but that might explain the confusion.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
sorry than my answer regarding the third picture wasnt understandable: I cant identify this bird to species level due to picture quality. Small picture consisting of just a few pixels prevents me to see enough details for seperation of Guillemots species against Razorbill. Black colour seems pale and therefore better for Guillemot than for normally dark yet black Razorbill, but I dont trust in this picture. And I think such paleness can be within variation for Razorbill, when picture quality is taken into account.

 

[LaplandBunting]

Hello,
sorry than my answer regarding the third picture wasnt understandable: I cant identify this bird to species level due to picture quality. Small picture consisting of just a few pixels prevents me to see enough details for seperation of Guillemots species against Razorbill. Black colour seems pale and therefore better for Guillemot than for normally dark yet black Razorbill, but I dont trust in this picture. And I think such paleness can be within variation for Razorbill, when picture quality is taken into account.

Got it - thanks!