Hybrid Duck? (US) (1 Viewer)

[kchiasson]

I have taken a photo of what looks like a hybrid Gadwall x White-Cheeked Pintail. Would like to know if anyone else has come across this? There is "red" on the bill. The duck was too far away for a good clean photo.

Thanks for any input,
KC
Southeast US

 

[howiewu]

Well, attach whatever you have, otherwise how do we know?

 

[kchiasson]

Well, attach whatever you have, otherwise how do we know?

Here's the photo Howiewu.

 

[Dimitris]

Gadwall x Am. Wigeon?

 

[Little SuperBirder]

I agree American Wigeon x Gadwall hybrid is likely what you have here.

 

[Dave Appleton]

There is "red" on the bill.

Red on the bill is hard to marry up with Gadwall x American Wigeon as others have suggested. But as you have red in quotation marks I'm not sure if you mean it definintely did show red in the field?

In any case I'm not sure we'll be able to get to the bottom of this without a better photo.

 

[kchiasson]

There was definitely red on the bill. The front of the duck resembled a White-Cheeked Pintail whiel the back body resembled a Gadwall. Tried to get another photo the next day, but a boat flushed the ducks just when I was about to zoom in on them.

KC

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

Gadwall x Mallard hybrids are relatively common, and often show a facial pattern like that (They are sometimes called Brewer's Ducks, and were once thought to be their own species). As for the red on the bill, when genes mix, sometimes the progeny shows traits that neither offspring has, or odd lighting or staining could be making the bill appear reddish.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Not identifiable from that photo- red on the bill would indicate it may be such a cross.
But what is odd is that the dark cap/white cheek patch border seems quite sharp. This is something I have seen in Gadwall x Northern Pintail, x mallard (only some) , x shoveler.

Like in this one for example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/6940259683/
But in many hybrids with Whitecheeked (or bahama pintail) this is not so, the border is blurred or washed out.

here in this link you see a probable hybrid gadwall x Whitecheeked Pintail:

http://forum.waarneming.nl/smf/index.php?topic=216897.0


Other bahama pintail hybrids:

x wood duck
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3662548412/

x mallard
http://www.flickr.com/groups/hybridbirds/discuss/72157607843713672/

x cinnamon teal
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r3/Mark_Hall_in_Huntsville/bahamahybrid3.jpg

In some hybrid bahama pintails the border between cheek and cap is relatively sharp sharp, see a hybrid bahama pintail x Chestnut teal here:
http://www.ornitho.ch/index.php?m_id=54&mid=224562

you have seen the bird , and have to decide what it might be, from this one photo it is impossible!