Help wanter, very flashy duck (1 Viewer)

[etudiant]

On Sept 8, 2015, this bird was working the lake waterfront near the Rhone outflow in Geneva.
It looks sort of like an Egyptian Goose, but only sort of.
Is it an escapee or something else?

 

[Microtus]

It's a Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys), a South American species, and one of my favorite ducks.

 

[etudiant]

It's a Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys), a South American species, and one of my favorite ducks.

Wonderful, thank you for the speedy response.
Just saw the one, no chance of a feral population I suppose?

 

[stevethehydra]

They're a fairly common escaped species, but I don't think they've ever been recorded breeding in Europe outside captivity.

 

[Zheljko]

I have never seen one, but now I know what to look for
Maybe they try to breed during the northern winter and that is why they don't have a population?

 

[kb57]

Saw two ringed teal on the Rhone outflow in Geneva last week (4th March 2016) - hadn't a clue what they were, a colleague who used to work for Waterfowl & Wetlands Trust identified them for me. A real mixture present there of non-native stuff like feral greylags and ruddy shelduck, and great views of goosander & great crested grebe.

 

[MTem]

I saw this pair on my BTO waterbird survey on a lake in deepest Surrey - in company with a flock of wild mandarins. They were very skittish and although certainly escapees I think they had been free for some time, and I see no reason why they would not make a breeding attempt.
Beautiful birds even in the dull grey light of that day.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Brreding of Ringed teal has occurred in Germany on some occasions, e.g. Rombergpark in Dortmund, I think.