Unusal American Duck

scipio · #1 (**permalink**) 08-05-2011, 06:37 PM

We went for a walk at the Vyne, Basingstoke this afternoon. They have just one hide about 100m away from the edge of the water. On the far side we could see this goose-like bird with a long red beak (for a duck/goose).

Nobody knew what it was. Fortunately someone else had spotted it that morning and when I got home I found their identification on the 'goingbirding' website. It is a Black-bellied Whistling Duck, nominally from the Americas but I suspect is an escapee in this case. Having googled it there is absolutely no doubt.
Here it is preening:

So if any of the other puzzled people in the hide see this post, that is what it was . Thanks to M Pitt for the key to the mystery.

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-05-2011, 06:45 PM

Definitely an escape. These are from tropical America- so occur from the southern states into South America. I've seen them in Texas + Venezuela- handsome birds. Certainly something to bring asurprise to the day's birding.

I haven't seen this species at liberty in the UK but have seen Fulvous Whistling Duck at Titchfield Haven where it had been present for some time (infact I think there were about three at one point).

scipio · #3 (**permalink**) 08-05-2011, 08:44 PM

Many thanks for confirming the sighting. We are not experts but would normally expect to recognise most birds (there were Redshank, Lapwing, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Mallard and Coot) but apart from a wild guess of Egyptian Goose this had us (and everyone else) truly stumped. The long red beak was very visible through binoculars but that made it even more difficult.
It was a good job I found this (look at the bottom of 8th May):
Bird News | Hampshire | goingbirding.co.uk
He also saw one of your Fulvous Whistling Ducks but it was not visible in the afternoon (so were were less confused than we might have been!)