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This blog is here to help in the identification of British Birds. Please feel free to add your pictures or provide comments as to what you think any of the birds featured might be.

Tuesday 3 March 2009

Pretty Duck


This bird seen at Drumpellier Country Park. Mallard x Teal?
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7 comments:

  1. John Molloy27 August 2009 at 05:49

    I had a bit of trouble with that bird, the concensus was that it was a Mallard x Gadwall hybrid

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  2. Mark Pewtress27 August 2009 at 11:34

    Glad I managed to get the Mallard bit right!!!
    Once again, many thanks for your comments.

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  3. John Molloy27 August 2009 at 13:19

    Just had a look at my image and noticed a feature on your bird that the bird in my image does not have, it's a different hybrid, I think yours is a Mallard x Yellow-billed Pintail hybrid, I should have studied the image more closely the first time, I just assumed as it was taken at the same site that it was the same bird. The bill markings are identical to Yellow-billed Pintail and there was a pair of them in the park a couple of years back.

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  4. Mark Pewtress27 August 2009 at 15:00

    Where on earth did a pair of Yellow-billed Pintail come from? Escapees I presume.

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  5. John Molloy27 August 2009 at 15:27

    They used to have a wildfowl collection at Drumpelier, they Had Wood Duck, Bahama (White-cheaked) Pintail. The pair of Yellow-billed Pintail I think were deliberately released there and several other South American wildfowl appeared in the area, some of which also turned up at Baron's Haugh including Ringed Teal, Chiloe Wigeon and Upland (Magellan) Goose. With captive birds more likely to hybridize with wild birds it could turn up some unusual hybrids.

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  6. Mark Pewtress1 September 2009 at 09:51

    Thanks for your comments here John - they may be of help to other birders who have come across 'strange looking' ducks.

    Regards,
    Mark

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  7. Anonymous9 February 2010 at 11:05

    It is a Mallard x Gadwall, as Johns Bird also. This cross is highly variable:

    http://sierrabirdbum.com/Birds/Nevada/Brewers_Duck_and_Gadwall_Damonte_12-19-09.jpg

    http://www.ducks.org/media/Opening%20Day/Blogs/my/mallardGadwall.jpg

    http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/~charlie/mankymallards/brewersduck01.jpg

    http://www.ofo.ca/photoalbums/archive/Ducks_Geese_Swans/slides/brewersduckpp.jpg

    http://www.birds.cornell.edu/cayugabirdclub/photos/BrewerJWM645a.jpg

    http://fog.ccsf.org/~jmorlan/brdu1.jpg

    http://img3.imageshack.us/i/100_1010.jpg/

    Best regards, Joern

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