UnID Duck - Hybrid? Mega? or ??? - 88th Ave and South Platte River (2/21)

Chris Knight

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Feb 21, 2015, 12:31:59 PM2/21/15

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Hi All,

I found a duck today (2/21) with a flock of Northern Shovelers which appears to be wild (it was wary). It could be a hybrid, but doesn't fit in to what I can figure out. Maybe someone else would like to guess. Here are the links to photos. I'm still trying to ID it on the internet and thought I'd post it early just in case.

Good birding.

Chris Knight

Northglenn, CO

Joe Roller

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Feb 21, 2015, 12:37:48 PM2/21/15

to Chris Knight, Colorado Birds

Nice photos! That appears to be a plumage variant of American Wigeon, known to hunters as a "Storm Wigeon."

One can find photos of similar ducks on line by checking "Storm Wigeon."

I hope to learn something if someone corrects me.

Joe Roller

hunkering down for the storm.

If you look at previous sightings of the Storm Wigeon in Colorado, you'll find that these ducks are seen from one to 40 days

before or after a storm.

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Brandon K. Percival

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Feb 21, 2015, 12:41:53 PM2/21/15

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Northern Shoveler x Gadwall hybrid is my guess.

Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO

From: 'Chris Knight' via Colorado Birds <cob...@googlegroups.com>
To: cob...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2015 10:31 AM
Subject: [cobirds] UnID Duck - Hybrid? Mega? or ??? - 88th Ave and South Platte River (2/21)

Hi All,

I found a duck today (2/21) with a flock of Northern Shovelers which appears to be wild (it was wary). It could be a hybrid, but doesn't fit in to what I can figure out. Maybe someone else would like to guess. Here are the links to photos. I'm still trying to ID it on the internet and thought I'd post it early just in case.

Cathy Sheeter

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Feb 21, 2015, 1:01:52 PM2/21/15

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This Gadwall x No. Shoveler hybrid has been documented at the same location each winter since Feb. 2012 and raises a few questions each winter (I remember someone asking about it a few months ago too). Great Photos of this very interesting bird! If you search ebird for this hybrid ceoss you can see more photos from previous years.

Cathy Sheeter

Joe Roller

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Feb 21, 2015, 1:11:02 PM2/21/15

to Cathy Sheeter, Colorado Birds, Chris Knight

Oops!

I meant to say "Storm Gadwall x Northern Shoveler hybrid".

Must have been some kind of typo.

Joe Roller, Denver

On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 11:09 AM, Joe Roller <jrol...@gmail.com> wrote:

Shot down in flames on "Storm Wigeon." If that was what it really was, I was going
to repeat my oft-told tale of how the Storm Wigeon got its name.

Always appreciate your sightings, photos and comments.

Joe Roller

On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 11:01 AM, 'Cathy Sheeter' via Colorado Birds <cob...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

This Gadwall x No. Shoveler hybrid has been documented at the same location each winter since Feb. 2012 and raises a few questions each winter (I remember someone asking about it a few months ago too). Great Photos of this very interesting bird! If you search ebird for this hybrid ceoss you can see more photos from previous years.

Cathy Sheeter

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Chris Knight

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Feb 21, 2015, 2:01:40 PM2/21/15

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Thanks to all who offered their thoughts about this hybrid! There were some other photos of Gadwall x Northern Shoveler at google images and they match my photos. These photos are from a Canon PowerShot SX510 HS costing less than $200 at Target.

There was only an inch of snow and absolutely no one else in the area (weather forecast over-hyped again?).