Help In ID Please

[big bill]

Took these pics today of a duck on Loch Morlich at Aviemore Scotland,its the size of a Mallard Duck have checked books and only one close to it is the Male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) but I have a feeling it is not this anybody help please?


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[url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/archive/showphoto.php?photo=52526][img]htt

[MagpieMick]

Female Wood Duck...

Going by the large eye ring and patchy spots on the flanks..

Mick..

[big bill]

Cheers for that Mick was not to sure of it and if I had checked my book correctly I would have noticed that the Male was main pic and female insert,,,,who is a right pillock I would have noticed that myself cheers again Mick and before anybody starts no I have not been on the hard stuff

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by MagpieMick

Female Wood Duck...

Going by the large eye ring and patchy spots on the flanks..

Mick..

Agree with Mick. The dark tip to the bill is another good pointer to this species; it's pale in Mandarin, the most likely confusion species.

[Dan Salter]

Wow what a beauty and a new one on me?...Not native i take it?

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Wow what a beauty and a new one on me?...Not native i take it?

Another introduction like the mandarin. Mind you Ive not heard of them causing probalems and the male is stunning in full plumage

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Wow what a beauty and a new one on me?...Not native i take it?

No it's not native- it's a common North American species which has yet to be accepted onto the British list- there have been a couple of likely candidates, but because it is so widespread in wildfowl collections has never been accepted. Given how common it is across the pond + the fact that we regularly accept other NA wildfowl such as American Wigeon, Green-winged + Blue-winged Teals, Ring-necked Ducks as genuine vagrants Wood Duck has to be plausible candidate for vagrancy.

Wood (or Carolina) Duck has only one other close relative + that is the successfully naturalised (in UK) Mandarin from the Orient. There have been feral breeding records of Wood duck but don't seem to be as successful as Mandarin. The drake is a fabulous looking bird!

[big bill]

Thanks a lot for the confirmation I was not too sure of ID at first thats why I posted for help..
It was taken on Loch Morlich at Aviemore in The Cairngorms National Park today,it was with a lot of Mallard Ducks but kept to the outside and away from there immediate vacinty when the Mallards moved away it just sat there for ages before moving off,I just about fell in the Loch trying to get closer using stepping stones as 200mm lens not quite long wnough for really close ups