tags: Female Gadwall, Anas strepera, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Female Gadwall, Anas strepera, photographed in San Bernard Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 2 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, author of Aimophila Adventures and Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
My usual harping is sort of beside the point when we have no choice butt to start at the rear. We can agree, I think, that this is a dabbling duck: in addition to the typical speckled and freckled plumage, the bird is, after all, dabbling.
The tail, a bit of which we can see, seems to be dark. The undertail coverts are mottled brown and black, and there's no hint of a pale lateral "fender" patch. And then we come to a truly useful character: the bird's belly is clean white, contrasting neatly with the dark undertail. As careful birders and generations of duck hunters know, there are relatively few female dabblers with clear bellies: only the wigeon, Gadwall, and Green-winged Teal spring to mind.
The wigeon are unusual among dabblers in having nearly unmarked buffy sides; our quiz bird shows clear internal markings in the flank feather. Green-winged Teal females show a pale patch on the sides of the undertail that would be conspicuous in this view; they also tend to be darker than the impression this bird makes on my monitor, and are given rather to mucking around in the mud than to tipping up.
We're left with Gadwall, and with another good distinguishing mark: the yellowish feet so characteristic of that species are just visible in the photo.
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Well, it's a dabbling duck. It has a white belly, a short tail, and I'm thinking I can see the beginning of some yellow legs. The tail looks fairly dark. I wouldn't want to bet much on it, but if I had to pick something, I guess I'd pick female gadwall.
Put another one down for Gadwall. My id is based more on behavior than field marks. Gadwalls always seem to have their duck butts up in the air like this.
I would have to guess one of the teals, so I'll say Blue-winged Teal
Dabbling duck, white belly, yellowish legs, medium dark underside to primaries...how about female Gadwall?
I'm also voting for female gadwall based on the white belly.
Dang, you all know your duck butts.
I'm guessing Gadwall too, because of the white belly and yellow legs, after much consultation with Sibley.
Against the trend, I think it is a Mallard rather than a Gadwall. I suspect the brown of the undertail coverts (which are more spotty than streaky) would extend further into the pale belly in Gadwall.