Duck ID please?

[Pigeon feather]

Did anyone else notice this bird has a silver ring on it's left leg? it definately looks like it's used to humans too, it's definately not a mallard, but I don't what it is! Good shot though

[GME]

Originally Posted by Pigeon feather

Did anyone else notice this bird has a silver ring on it's left leg? it definately looks like it's used to humans too, it's definately not a mallard, but I don't what it is! Good shot though

Thanks
It was definitely curious of me. As I have no real zoom on the phone I had to literally walk up to it and put the camera in it's face (poor thing). Martin Mere gets a lot of visitors so I'm sure it wasn't bothered by me and it must have helped (though it could have had an opposite effect of course) being handled when the ring was put on. Thanks for confriming it is not a Mallard. I loved the feather pattern, particularly round the head, it's very pretty for such a 'bland' coloured bird.

[Tursiops2]

If it's an exotic, I haven't a clue, but it's a very dapper little bird

[GME]

Right. This has been bugging me, so I took a Wildfowl book out of the library at work and having perused it for a while I toyed with varieties of Gadwall, Wigeon and Teal but I think the winner is...

A Yellow-billed Pintail - Anas georgica

Could still be wrong though, but it looked most like the picture. It has the same features and actually says it is differentiated from birds like the Speckled Teal by the yellow stripes on the bill.

Any takers?

[wildlifesnapper]

Originally Posted by GME

Right. This has been bugging me, so I took a Wildfowl book out of the library at work and having perused it for a while I toyed with varieties of Gadwall, Wigeon and Teal but I think the winner is...

A Yellow-billed Pintail - Anas georgica



Any takers?

also known as the Chilean Pintail or georgea Pintail

neil

[Susieanna]

Originally Posted by Ferret

Looks more like a Pintail to me but the bill colour looks wrong, is there a Wildfowl collection at Martin Mere?

I've never been to Martin Mere, but I believe there is indeed a collection. South Georgian Pintail looks right to me, and they are certainly kept by the WWT centre at Slimbridge so that seems highly plausible. As its ring is on its left leg it will likely be a female.

[GME]

Thanks everybody. I think we may have cracked it then. Your help is much appreciated