Unusual Ducks - Langdon Hills, Essex 01/10/24 (1 Viewer)

[djw0208]

Hi - I think these are South African Shelducks?

A pair on the lake in Langdon Hills, Essex today.

I assume they are escapees?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

yes they are South African Shelducks imo (although I have never seen wild ones), exact colouration is unique in the World.

 

[djw0208]

Thanks Alexander - I had to do a real double take - I couldn't figure out what I was seeing.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

They are very grey on the flanks- I see this regularly in captive South African shelducks, but would that also be normal for wild birds in South Africa?

If not, I suspect some introgression from other species of shelduck in the captive population....

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Wow! Thanks Jörn for the additional information, was new to me

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

This is another example of a male bird from the captive population:

https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/south-african-shelduck.638106/full

These are wild males from Flickr and ebird/Macauley, which do not show this trait

https://flic.kr/p/2pTZ2LE

https://flic.kr/p/tGDpUf

https://cdn.download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/220924631/1800

ML277492941 - South African Shelduck - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML277492941; © Peter Kyne; Eastern Cape, South Africa

macaulaylibrary.org

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

while we are at it: female birds should have a white and dark grey head pattern...

ML51301921 - South African Shelduck - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML51301921; © Simon Best; Western Cape, South Africa

macaulaylibrary.org

https://flic.kr/p/C4TbLu

so is this bird from Spain (must be escape or descendant from an escape) a pure bird?

ML306968951 - South African Shelduck - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML306968951; © Antonio Espin Fernandez; Madrid, Comunidad de, Spain

macaulaylibrary.org

ML304139081 - South African Shelduck - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML304139081; © Jorge García Mora; Madrid, Comunidad de, Spain

macaulaylibrary.org

but also this South African one has a reddish cast to the dark areas of the head - so can this be normal?

https://flic.kr/p/eNLmQo