Mystery Duck: Eurasian Wigeon, or Something Else?

[akirlu]

Spotted a couple of times among the mallard community that hangs out on the creek at the bottom of the hill. Really resistant to having his photo taken. I'm guessing it's a juvenile male something making the transition to adult plumage, but the question is, juvenile male what? The body coloration is a bit like the Eurasian wigeon, but the head color looks all wrong, so I dunno. Any birders out there got an idea what he is?

Comments

[vgqn.livejournal.com]

I'd say a Northern Shoveler

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Many of the right features, but I'm pretty sure the American wigeon crowd called it -- the shoveler's bill is way too big, proportionally.

[carbonel]

Just sent a query on your behalf to alexfandra.

[alexfandra.livejournal.com]

sorry my first link didn't work - trying again:



See also:
this web site for more info (http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/facts/american_wigeon_712.html)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Good call, I'm sure you're right. I looked at the American wigeon on the local Audubon Society page but was fooled by their choice of primary photo: a duck rather than a drake, and not a very good one at that.

[albionwood.livejournal.com]

Looks like an American Widgeon. Google will give you a jillion images...

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Good call, I'm sure you're right. I looked at the American wigeon on the local Audubon Society page but was fooled by their choice of primary photo :a duck rather than a drake, and not a very good one at that.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

My question is not "what do (most) people call it?", but "does it seem to be happy?". (Not that healthy adolescents usually are happy, of course.) Mind you, I still use "rose", "chysanthemum", and "geranium", despite quibbling taxonimists.

Birds of Mystery

[ladyjestocost.livejournal.com]

Fancy that! I've seen similar looking birds, and I just put them down to what happens when a mallard meets a farm duck.

[coth.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you got that sorted. I'm reminded that my recent oddity turned out to be an Egyptian goose - which is neither Egyptian nor a goose, of course. But there you go.