Duck ID please

Trik · #1 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 12:42 PM

At first, I thought it might be an eclipse Goldeneye, but the head shape and the bill aren`t right. Tufted Duck don`t have that pale patch on the face, so I am hoping someone can provide an ID please. Apologies for the very poor shot, but, unfortunately, as it was too far away.

Thanks
Trik

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 01:25 PM

Tufted Duck, they sometimes show pale around the base of the bill.

faz · #3 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 02:46 PM

tuffted for me aswell

Trik · #4 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 05:46 PM

To me the patch seemed rather too well-defined for Tufted. Do Tufties and Goldeneyes interbreed, perhaps?

Thanks for the ID
Trik

Robert S J Smith · #5 (**permalink**) 28-10-2010, 05:59 PM

female Tufted Duck for me too...

Ferret · #6 (**permalink**) 30-10-2010, 01:23 AM

It’s a female Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula. The pale patch at the base of the bill is well within what I would expect to see on a small percentage of females. I am not sure why you think this bird could be a Goldeneye/Tufted cross as this bird shows no sign of the very distinctive body and head and bill shape of the Goldeneye Bucephala clangula and the pale mark is in a different place in relation to the bill, which is level and below the bill on the Goldeneye while the mark on your bird is halfway up and above the bill.
The normal confusion species with Tufted Ducks marked like yours is female/juvenile Scaup Aythya marila which look very similar as both species belong to the same Genus, but again head shape comes to our aid in separating them, Tufted Duck has a high forehead, flat crown and a hint of a crest, all of which can be seen on your bird, while the Scaup has a very evenly rounded head.

Hope this helps

Ferret

Trik · #7 (**permalink**) 30-10-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferret

I am not sure why you think this bird could be a Goldeneye/Tufted cross...

Ignorance!

Trik

Dogghound · #8 (**permalink**) 30-10-2010, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferret

It’s a female Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula. The pale patch at the base of the bill is well within what I would expect to see on a small percentage of females. I am not sure why you think this bird could be a Goldeneye/Tufted cross as this bird shows no sign of the very distinctive body and head and bill shape of the Goldeneye Bucephala clangula and the pale mark is in a different place in relation to the bill, which is level and below the bill on the Goldeneye while the mark on your bird is halfway up and above the bill.
The normal confusion species with Tufted Ducks marked like yours is female/juvenile Scaup Aythya marila which look very similar as both species belong to the same Genus, but again head shape comes to our aid in separating them, Tufted Duck has a high forehead, flat crown and a hint of a crest, all of which can be seen on your bird, while the Scaup has a very evenly rounded head.

Hope this helps

Ferret

Probably the best way of seperating scaup and tuftie from this photo is the bill, tufted show a wide black tip (like here), scaup only show a black nail.