What kind of duck is this.

[aghoover]

Here is a picture of a duck we got in Sask last fall. I think it is a female green winged teal, but it is driving me nuts that I can't find a picture that looks just like this one.

It is small, has a white breast, grey feet, reddish brown back, orange beak and subtle green speculum feathers.

Here are some pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

The small one on the right is the one in question. I believe the one on the left is a gadwald.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink


http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

Thanks for you help.

[Pudelpointer]

Looks like a widgeon to me.

And yes, the one on the left is a Gadwall.

[whiskybaron]

puddle pointer is right that is an imature widgeon you can tell by the speculum and blue feet no doubt a widgeon and most likely a male

[aghoover]

Does bill colour and foot colour change within a species. As they mature or just as with people's different skin colour? This duck has an orange bill and all the pics on the internet show a blue/grey bill.

[whiskybaron]

Thier bill will change if the bird is imature or if it is still molting. Even a mature greenhead shot early in the year does not have the yellow bill until it is finished molting. The reason us canadians have a hard time id ing ducks is we see (especially hunting early in the year) all the young of the year and molting birds most birds do not finish molting till early october into november. Most of the books for id purposes are for mature birds in thier breeding plumage, this can make it difficult to do the easiest way is to learn the speculums on the wing as the color will not change. Hope this helps.

[aghoover]

I was trying to find a clear picture of speculums to try and ID this bird, but couldn't find anything. Good point on the phase/maturity of birds. Of 3 years of hunting, this is the first year I've seen a good example of a male pintail. Either we've only gotten female pintails or we've gotten various phases of male pintails.

Thanks for the help, this has been driving me nuts.

Andy

[Pudelpointer]

FWIW, widgeons are my favourite eating duck. Plucked and split in half, I rub them with coarse salt and little crushed caraway seed, and throw them on the grill. Sometimes I brush on a bit of mango chutney a few minutes before I take them off. Great, now I am hungry.

[densa44]

You'll see a lot of wigeons, gadwells and shovellers if you hunt for any length of time in Alberta. When I got here from Ontario, where we saw many different species and I knew most of them. The first time I went hunting with my Alberta doggy friends, I was told politely but firmly "There are mallards, pintails and other ducks"! They were right.

Once you get the hang of learning what the speculum looks like for every bird you won't have any trouble.

If you get where you think you are pretty good at this, there are hybrids between species and experts, a few CO's I've know could identify the two species that formed the new duck. I think the hybrids were all puddle ducks but others may have seen divers. Keep hunting!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by densa44

You'll see a lot of wigeons, gadwells and shovellers if you hunt for any length of time in Alberta. When I got here from Ontario, where we saw many different species and I knew most of them. The first time I went hunting with my Alberta doggy friends, I was told politely but firmly "There are mallards, pintails and other ducks"! They were right.

Once you get the hang of learning what the speculum looks like for every bird you won't have any trouble.

If you get where you think you are pretty good at this, there are hybrids between species and experts, a few CO's I've know could identify the two species that formed the new duck. I think the hybrids were all puddle ducks but others may have seen divers. Keep hunting!

13 years ago my dad and I shot a mallard\wood duck cross hybrid,I got a picture of it aswell,i'll try to find it!!

Update: check out the "Take EM" thread,picture #5 in the center pic is the hybrid duck!

[wildlifebio]

Originally Posted by aghoover

I was trying to find a clear picture of speculums to try and ID this bird, but couldn't find anything.

Andy

Hi Andy,

A couple good resources for Duck ID are:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/b...plum/index.htm

It has actual color pictures of real duck wings including adults and immatures of both sexes.

Another great book is the Ducks at a Distance book. Its just a little pamphlet showing many of the common species. It's just drawings but is a pretty good field guide. Online version is available at:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/b...dist/index.htm

Other good waterfowl resources can be found on the same website:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/taxa_w.htm

[Mountain Guy]

Too big for a teal.
breast color and speculum color indicate widgeon.

[KegRiver]

Since the third photo shows them the best I'll use that one for my answer.
Pudelpointer is correct.

Gadwall, Mallard, and American Wigeon

All three are unmistakable, however, the American Wigeon did give me some trouble until I got a look at the belly.

Without both back and belly views I don't think I could have identified this one.

[aghoover]

Thanks guys for the input. Wildlifebio, those websites are great. I'll have to study those so I'm ready for next season.

[moosemad]

Looks like a white breasted orange billed widgeon. There are only a dozen left in the wild. Sorry I meant 11.