My first reaction to Alex Wilson's post was "Couldn't be," but then I found these websites:
http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/HybridDucks.php (click on shoeveler hybrid link) http://www.azfo.org/gallery/noshXcite.html Yikes! Hugh Hugh McGuinness The Ross School 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, NY 11937 [email protected] Begin forwarded message: > From: "Alex Wilson" <[email protected]> > Date: January 25, 2010 9:35:40 AM EST > To: "Rob Jett" <[email protected]> > Cc: "NYSBirds" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re:[nysbirds-l] Odd Prospect Park Shoveler > Reply-To: "Alex Wilson" <[email protected]> > > Regarding the odd shoveler-type duck in Prospect Park, this bird (I > assume > the same) was first noted on 12/24/09 and reported on Peter Dorosh’s > Prospect sightings blog: > > http://peters-prospect-bird-sightings.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-eve-day-prospect-and-garden.html > > Some photos I took are posted at: > > http://www.digitalmediatree.com/arboretum/shoveler/ > > My photos show the bird next to a female Northern Shoveler; though > male by > plumage it is barely as large as the female shoveler, and the bill > appears > smaller. From what I see online the Australasian Shoveler is at > least as > big as Northern, with equally extreme bill proportions. Australasian > also > appears to have a more gray-tinged head and darker markings on the > breast, > whereas the Prospect bird has a strongly green head. Based on these > factors I tend to think it’s a Northern Shoveler X Blue-winged Teal > hybrid, but I’d be interested in more knowledgeable opinions. > > Good birding, > Alex Wilson > Brooklyn, NY > >> Prospect Park's lake is notorious for hosting some very strange >> hybrid >> waterfowl, so I wasn't too surprised to find an odd-looking shoveler >> in the park. What was first perceived to be a Northern Shoveler x >> Blue- >> winged Teal hybrid, I'm now pretty certain is actually an >> Australasian >> Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis). I have some photos and a short video on >> my >> blog here: >> >> http://citybirder.blogspot.com/2010/01/strange-waterfowl.html >> >> Just wondering: >> >> - How common are Australasian Shovelers in zoos or private >> collections? >> - Have Australasian Shovelers ever been recorded outside of New >> Zealand or Australia? >> - What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? >> >> Good birding, >> >> Rob >> >> -- >> >> NYSbirds-L List Info: >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES >> >> ARCHIVES: >> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html >> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird: >> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> >> -- >> > > > > -- > > NYSbirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html > 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
