I thought this was a Blue-Winged Teal (female)-but it doesn't look like the other Blue Winged Teal in my photo library
ID Please
I thought this was a Blue-Winged Teal (female)-but it doesn't look like the other Blue Winged Teal in my photo library
This looks like a female American Black Duck to me (the purple speculum and eye stripe give it away) but I'll defer to the experts here. :)
Think it is a female Mallard denise.
Jackie, I'm pretty sure female Mallards have orange bills
My second guess would be a Garganey
Hi Denise. Nice, sharp, well exposed shot. According to my National Geographic field guide 5th edition, I think that you have a female American Black Duck. You are right about female Mallard. Garganey would be much, much less likely in NA, would have orange on the sides of the bill and would have a much steeper forehead (again according to my Nat. Geo.:D).
I name all my bird images using the 4-letter USFWS/CWS Banding Office mnemonic so for example an American Black Duck image in my system might be ABDU_0234.cr2. I mention this only to say that I still have a few files that are named IMG_1234.cr2 because of ID questions and many of them look like this bird! Female ducks are tough!
I think this is an immature Mallard. An American Black Duck would have a much darker body and dull grey/greenish bill. This one has orange bits along the side of the bill but is not like an older female which would have more orange and dark areas in the centre portion of the bill- hence I think an immature bird. Note the reddish tinge to the breast of this one- again a Mallard feature. Blue-winged Teals are petite and females have a distinctive looking face with white eye ring. The "blue-wing" comes from a large patch of "powder blue" on the inner forewing, not the "speculum" of ducks which is actually made up of the secondary flight feathers. I've posted a couple of images of these species for comparision. First an American Black Duck family likely containing late-stage young from 2008. Then a female Blue-winged Teal.
Last edited by John Chardine; 01-04-2009 at 08:44 AM.
and now a Blue-winged Teal
From Sackville Waterfowl Park, summer 2008. For comparative purposes only- not one I would submit to Avian Image Critiques!
The black duck does look darker than the duck I submitted -She was swimming w/ her ducklings-would posting a shot of her ducklings help w/ ID?
Not really Denise, although it might help a waterfowl expert. Maybe I was a bit more circumspect in my species pronouncement than I should have been. Here goes again- it is my strong belief that this is a Mallard!
Some mallards from July..No post on this for obvious reasons just kept it around for ID. The same group, in a bit different light, more orange shows up on the one female bill.
Nonda, Thanks! I think that clears it up.
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Originally Posted by denise ippolito
