Gadwall X Mallard Hybrid

[frank lospalluto]

Hey birders,

This afternoon I had a brief look at a duck on one of the Denman Hall Tract  Ponds that is directly in line with Leigh Way near the metal power pole lines. It appeared to be a Gadwall X Mallard Hybrid though I did entertain the possibility of a Gadwall X Northern Pintail. I believe I am correct with the Gadwall X Mallard option but what do you duck experts out there think?

good birding,

frank

[Alex Lamoreaux]

Hey Frank, nice find! I agree with Gadwall x Mallard. 

This hybrid combo, aka Brewer’s Duck, is variable but yours looks good to me. Clearly Gadwall-like but the bi-colored face and rufous-tinged breast plus the overall structure (longer bill and longer body with more pointed back end) seem to favor x Mallard. It matches nicely with the Gadwall x Mallard illustration  ‘d’ in the photo attachment, from ‘Waterfowl of North America, Europe, & Asia’ by Sebastian Reeber. There is an eBird entry option for this combo FYI, and there are currently less than 20 records in the database for Oregon all-time. 

-Alex

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Alex Lamoreaux

717-943-7086

Senior Leader/North America Specialist for Wildside Nature Tours
https://wildsidenaturetours.com/team-member/alex-lamoreaux/

[frank lospalluto]

Thanks, Alex.

Actually the Reeber book was my prime reference along with Steve Mlodinow's Hybrid Birds blog.

I'll put it on my ebird list this evening.

good birding,

frank

[Jeffrey Tufts]

Not saying that Frank's bird isn't a hybrid, but it's interesting to read the comments that can be found at these two websites

https://birding.bc.ca/community/viewtopic.php?t=16074

https://www.refugeforums.com/threads/the-rare-elusive-purple-headed-gadwall-and-i-found-two.1007034/

Obviously some see these unusual looking Gadwalls as variants of the species rather than hybrids.  

How to prove it one way or the other ?  I guess you'd need DNA.

Jeff Tufts

Medford

[Alex Lamoreaux]

Those purple-headed Gadwall are uncommon but regular, and the Reeber book suggests that variant may have resulted from ancestral hybridization with other Anas species. That variant was my gut reaction to Frank's bird, but looking closer his duck also shows a rufous-washed breast; thick black neck band; and more Mallard-like wings and tail (extensive white wash to rear portion of folded wings and more white in the tail edges) which point away from pure Gadwall. The build of Frank's duck is also intermediate. -Alex

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[frank lospalluto]

I was typing when Alex's response came through as Jeff's email made me go back to Reeber but more importantly what did I see out in the field. I think it is a hybrid for the points Alex made. I did see the black neck band which was much more prominent than in the photos in the articles Jeff linked to and it did appear to  have the rufous speckly breast of a Mallard . And the rear end and tail fit the hybrid profile. But one had to really look at the bird as when they swam away to some distance and I lost it. then when I thought I was back on it... it turned into a normal Gadwall male.  

That being said the bird may still be out there on Denman for someone else to observe, take notes and photograph.

good birding,

frank

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