After doing some research, I think the duck is indeed a hybrid. The fact that it has a "bump" on the head, rather than a tuft (and no strands of the tuft at all) is primarily what's leading me to this conclusion. An interesting bird nonetheless!
Gavin On Sun, Mar 30, 2014 at 1:51 PM, Gavin Platt <[email protected]> wrote: > Birders, > > I have just located what may be a Tufted Duck on the Toronto Islands. I > say possible because it has a very short tuft and I can't rule out a scaup > x Tufted Duck hybrid. > > It looks like a Tufted Duck in all respects but the tuft: black back > feathers, bright white sides. The tuft is very similar in size and shape to > the bird shown in the recent Point Pelee 2013 bird report (which was > considered a hybrid). > > The bird is with a large flock of Greater Scaup near the Hanlan's Point > ferry terminal. FYI, this is about a 5 km walk one way (10 km round trip) > from the Wards Island ferry terminal. Follow the road west from the ferry, > past the water treatment plant and continue until you're in line with the > airport fence. There will be a set of washrooms on the right (in an area of > construction right now). The birds are in a patch of open water behind the > washrooms. The duck in question has been feeding very close to shore in the > most southwestern corner of the open water. > > I don't have a camera, so if someone wants to make the walk to photograph > this bird, please do so!! > > Good Birding, > Gavin Platt > Toronto, ON > > > _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
