[birdky] Waterfowl Photo Quiz "Solution"
- From: "Palmer-Ball, Brainard (EPPC OOS KNPC)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>
- To: "BIRDKY" <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:06:08 -0400
Most responses to the latest photo quiz have nailed a majority of the
species in the two photos of a flying flock of waterfowl that appears to
me to contain seven species between the two photos. Following is *my*
best guess as to the identity of the seven in the two photos at the
following link:
http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos/distant_ducks.htm
Photo 1: This one has only one bird that is not as clearly visible in
the second photo, but it is so much better of an angle that I included
it. Most birds are Mallards, some in pairs, and there is a pair of
Northern Pintails. A single American Black Duck appears to be on the
right side with Mallards, and there is one additional duck, a smaller
individual, that to myself and most folks I've corresponded with appears
to be a male Greater Scaup. In Photo 1 the wing stripe of this bird is
pretty extensive and to me the head shape looks better for Greater than
Lesser, too. If someone was to present a good case for Lesser, I
couldn't argue based on what I can clearly discern from the image.
Photo 2: This photo has everything the first one does, but not as good
of an angle of the male scaup. Again, there are mostly Mallards with
several pairs and a couple of single male Northern Pintail, along with
at least a couple of American Black Ducks. On the far right-hand side is
about the front one-half of a male American Wigeon showing the large
white patch on the top of the wing. At the middle left is the male
scaup. In the lower, right-hand portion is a small, compact,
pale-colored duck that everyone I have corresponded with agrees is a
Green-winged Teal (I'm personally unsure if it is a male or female). So
that's six. What I'm calling a 7th species are represented by the two
smaller light-brown ducks in the middle of the group trailing and lower
than the male scaup and above and left of the Green-winged Teal. These
are the birds that have generated the most discussion, but to me they
appear to be female Ring-necked Ducks. The light cresent-shaped areas at
the bases of their bills suggests Blue-winged Teal or female scaup, but
I think it is more washed out and consistent with Ring-necked Duck.
Also, neither bird appears to have a whitish "scaup" wing stripe. Both
are about the right size and neither color or anything else seems
inconsistent with Ring-necked.
Discussion? Debate? Corrections?
bpb, Frankfort
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