All: What a most interesting bird. Are there additional photos that we might ogle? As has been noted on this venue on previous occasions, male hybrid dabblers tend to sport pale areas on their heads that don't match anything on either parental species. This bird certainly shares this feature, so I feel certain that it's a hybrid, but cannot come to any firm conclusion as to the non-Northern Pintail (NOPI) parent. If one ignores the head and neck, there's nothing that appears other than a male NOPI. Additionally, the black-and-silver bill gives us no clue; it's typical male NOPI. However, the seemingly partial white collar (different from that of NOPI) and the iridescence on the head suggest Mallard influence. In fact, that iridescence really suggests that Mallard or Northern Shoveler has provided the odd genes in this bird, as no other regular ABA-area species sports such.
Any other thoughts? On the same blog, the photographer has a picture of a "female Hooded Merganser" and another of "Mr. and Mrs. Bufflehead." While the sexes of the Buffleheads may, indeed, be correct (the white-and-black one is certainly an adult male), I'm not at all convinced that the Hooded Merganser is not a young male. Granted, it's likely to be a female on chance alone (there are more females -- both adult and immature -- than there are immature males), but given the delayed plumage maturation typical of mergansers (and Buffleheads, among other diving-duck species), I see nothing in particular on this bird to be certain that it is a female. Here in Cape May, we had a "female Hooded Merganser" spend the summer of 2008 at the South Cape May Meadows, being IDed as a female by most local birders, only to have it, FINALLY, begin molt into male plumage in July/August when it was a bit over one year old. Just food for thought and a request for precision. Enjoy, Tony Leukering Villas, NJ -----Original Message----- From: cobirds+noreply <[email protected]> To: Digest Recipients <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, Feb 1, 2011 3:22 am Subject: [cobirds] Digest for [email protected] - 8 Messages in 7 Topics Topic: Interesting Duck from the South Platte, Denver Todd Deininger <[email protected]> Feb 01 03:58AM ^ William Bond took this photo and placed it on his blog. I can see the Northern Pintail, but what else? http://birdsbybill.blogspot.com/ Todd Deininger Longmont, CO "Only the muddy fox lives" [email protected] Feb 01 06:42AM ^ I have a photo of the same bird from the 19th (Recent Additions) in the gallery below . I was thinking Northern Pintail X American Wigeon. Mark Chavez Lakewood-Green Mtn http://jaeger29.smugmug.com/ ----- Original Message ----- From: Todd Deininger <[email protected]> To: cobirds <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:58:33 -0000 (UTC) Subject: [cobirds] Interesting Duck from the South Platte, Denver William Bond took this photo and placed it on his blog. I can see the Northern Pintail, but what else? http://birdsbybill.blogspot.com/ Todd Deininger Longmont, CO "Only the muddy fox lives" -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
