Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: Shortsighted on October 03, 2018, 03:11:58 PM

Title: Unknown duck
Post by: Shortsighted on October 03, 2018, 03:11:58 PM

At first I thought this might be a Blue-winged Teal in eclipse plumage but it does not
have the white around the eyes. It's not a Mallard, or a Gadwall.
Guidance would be appreciated.
There were Green-winged Teal around (much smaller bodied).
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bb3HnXB/0/ccf47df5/L/i-Bb3HnXB-L.jpg) (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-358cgw/i-Bb3HnXB/A)

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Paul O'Toole on October 04, 2018, 07:43:57 AM

I am thinking a Gadwall.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Shortsighted on October 04, 2018, 06:19:02 PM

Thanks for your opinion.
I thought the forehead slope was not abrupt enough for a Gadwall and the bill is so slim,
like that of a Pintail or BW Teal. Even the pattern on the flank confused me. Then again,
even a sunrise confuses me, so it doesn't take much.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Canoncan on October 05, 2018, 05:04:44 PM

I am thinking a female Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall usually has white secondaries patch visible and this does not, but a picture is a picture, lots of behaviour could show it or conceal it.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Shortsighted on October 06, 2018, 04:41:45 PM

I thought the female BW Teal has white around the eye, while the male
does not. That's why I figured an immature male, which like most water fowl
tends to resemble a female. I wish I could locate BW Teal often enough to
learn what they look like.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Rotarran on October 10, 2018, 11:18:12 AM

Could be Green-winged Teal.  

On Allaboutbirds we see this picture of a female BWT
(https://d1ia71hq4oe7pn.cloudfront.net/photo/60292821-1280px.jpg)

And now an image of a female GWT
(https://d1ia71hq4oe7pn.cloudfront.net/photo/63893411-1280px.jpg)

I think the GWT is closer to the bird you photographed.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Shortsighted on October 10, 2018, 12:31:40 PM

Thanks for your suggestion. I also thought GWT (female) except that the GWT that were on site
appeared smaller and fed in small groups employing that repetitious dabbing motion.
The duck I photographed (from a distance) was alone and somewhat larger in size, but not as large as a Mallard, or Black duck.
I hardly stopped to feed at all and kept its head above water.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: Rotarran on October 10, 2018, 01:37:57 PM

Did you take more pictures?  Maybe beside other ducks?  That way we might be able to compare its size to the other ducks (of other species).  Maybe it is a hybrid or a particular large Teal.

Title: Re: Unknown duck
Post by: thouc on October 10, 2018, 08:15:21 PM

The body pattern feels more like Blue-winged Teal than Green-winged Teal to me.

/Thomas