Grey headed ducks for ID

loripo · #1 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 08:44 PM

I saw these two today in St James's Park, London. Havnt been able to see what they are from my books, can you help. I also saw(but didnt get a decent photo as they kept hiding_)two russet coloured, dark headed, bright blue billed duck - would they be Ruddy duck?

diggleken · #2 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 09:12 PM

Difficult!
first - yep, they are probably Ruddy ducks as you say.
But these two in the pic are not easy - i'll have a stab - - some sort of whistling/tree duck I suspect - maybe red-billed whistling duck (tree duck) at a slightly unusual plumage stage - the bill, head colour and shape and white side indicate this to me.
Dendrocygna autumnalis sbspp interbreed, so can be variants a bit.
Cant be 100% though on such foreigners!

Cheers
Ken

Jonners · #3 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 09:24 PM

Are these ones not Mandarins? I'm more than happy to be corrected, but that's what they look like to me, (or possibly Wood Ducks).

loripo · #4 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 10:04 PM

I've just had a browse and there are a couple of pix of male mandarins in eclipse that had similar coloring - do they change so dramatically? I saw the Males on New Years eve there so I know they are around, but the lake was drained in the new year to remove 20 years of silt and I wasnt sure any of the birds would still be around, but they were there in their hundreds today al busy preening. I saw one tufted duck on its back, legs waving in the air while it cleaned its breast.

Ferret · #5 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 10:07 PM

I think you will find they are Mandarin’s the bird nearest is an eclipse plumaged drake and the far bird a female, just possibly Carolina Wood Ducks, cant be completely sure without getting the books out and I am afraid I don’t have time for that at the moment. Will look back later when I have more time.

Ferret

Picidae · #6 (**permalink**) 23-07-2009, 11:07 PM

They're Mandarins.

An increasingly common sight in London's parks now.

Adam Cheeseman · #7 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 07:32 AM

Apparently there are now more Mandarins living 'in the wild' in Britain than in their native distribution range in Asia.

Cheers,

Adam

loripo · #8 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 08:12 AM

I've looked at whistling and wood ducks( should it be duck or ducks for plural?) and I can see definate similarities, but the bill is reddish, so am going for Mandarin!
Very beautiful birds, more so that in full regalia I think, but maybe females like the flashy

Adam Cheeseman · #9 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loripo

I've looked at whistling and wood ducks( should it be duck or ducks for plural?) and I can see definate similarities, but the bill is reddish, so am going for Mandarin!
Very beautiful birds, more so that in full regalia I think, but maybe females like the flashy

When referring to a species you use the singular. Well you do in report writing anyway.

In the context you use, you are talking about more than one species with duck in the name so ducks is ok, or you could say whistling duck and wood duck, but then there's more than one species of whistling duck. OK, I will now take off my pedantic head.

Cheers,

Adam

ps - they are 100% Mandarin Duck