Dear Cobirders:
I wondered if my long time friend Ted was seeing a different hybrid duck
than the hybrid teal which Peter Gent and I saw yesterday morning at
Cottonwood Marsh. Identification points are below -- So the title of
this topic should be "All American Hybrid Duck at Cottonwood Marsh."
Birders should NOT to believe Ted Floyd or Bruce Webb. Instead, get out
there before this interesting duck leaves and make your own assessment.
A spotting scope is needed to get adequate views. A good set of photos
would be nice. I will try to upload mine soon when I find an available
site (volunteers?) I do not have a Flicker account.
The hybrid we saw displayed these field marks - from front to back:
1. Bill: It has a long, slender teal-like bill with medium blue (the
wigeon genes) side strips and jet black over the top of the bill vs. all
wigeons' solid blue bills with dark tips.
2. Head: This hybrid's green face patch is discretely outlined and
shaped exactly like a Green-winged Teal's. In fact, the back of the
green blaze ends in a slight shaggy (duck tail) crest, as seen on every
male Green-winged Teal.
An American wigeon's head is shaped differently and it's green patch is
diffuse. Hybrid wigeon x wigeon often lose much of the green blaze.
Yet, the intensity of this hybrid's green face patch emphasizes American
Wigeon as the other parent. The normally deep chestnut rust head color
of a Green-winged teal has been diluted to an orangey tone in this
hybrid. This may be due to the expression of parental American Wigeon's
gray-white head feathers. This is orange head tone is something Warren
Finch noticed.
3. Wing: This is the MAIN point: Both wigeon species males have large
white upper-wing patches (The medial and lesser coverts) which show in
flight and slightly on the folded wing. Green-winged Teal have no white
upper wing panels. This hybrid shows no white panel peeking through
because it has no white on the upper wing.
4. Body: In good light, Webb noticed the vertical white strip
(diagnostic of a male Green-winged Teal) is pale pink, but it blends
with the breast and is hard to notice. A teal's rear flank patch is
relatively small, and buffy-yellow in color. Wigeon have larger bright
white patches in front of an all black rump and tail. This hybrid has a
dull white patch smaller than wigeon's flank patch.
Now, to some of Ted's main points: Size: "pretty much identical
size." We saw it as being slightly smaller than adjacent Wigeon.
Ted says "textbook perfect for an American x Eurasian wigeon." What
textbook? Hybrid wigeon x wigeons are all over the spectrum in color
patterns especially in the head area.
Instead of mentioning the green wing speculum (which is green for all
suspects) birders should look for presence or absence of large white
upper wing coverts.
Ted mentions the color of the head is palest on the crown "Perfect for
Eurasian parent." Actually, the crown is the same color as the sides of
the head. In fact, the front of the head is slightly paler than the top
and sides of the head.
Pure wigeons and their hybrids show some degree of a paler pate. This
hybrid does not show a pale pate.
From the first view, I was satisfied with this being a teal x wigeon
hybrid. Now I will go way out on a limb and say it is an American
Green-winged Teal x American Wigeon. Sorry it is an "All American"
hybrid. I think Boulder birders will have to wait a bit longer for
Eurasian Wigeon genetic material to reach Boulder County.
Ted's other comments do not rule out Green-winged Teal so they do not
need comment.
former Boulder birder, Bruce Webb
Granite Bay, CA
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