Hybrid eider

Gestart door Alcedo atthis, maart 06, 2008, 10:33:27 AM

Vorige topic - Volgende topic

Alcedo atthis

http://www.harteman.nl/omnibus/hybrids/Eiderhybrid.jpg

Jan, do you have more pictures of this one?

Maybe then it is identifiable?
greetings,
Jörn Lehmhus

Jan Harteman

I don't know if I have more, will search for it tonight -- at this moment I'm at work.
Possibly there are more, I took this photograph myself at a wildfowl collection.

Alcedo atthis

That would be great- many thanks!
greetings,
Jörn Lehmhus

Jan Harteman

Here it is!
So what would you think about it?

Alcedo atthis

Ouch!

I have never seen anything like that!

The sex and age are probably not known?


tentative guess (and it is really a guess!), presuming that the colours I see on my monitor are correct:

Netta peposaca x Somateria molissima

This isn´t very obvious, as it doesn´t show much similarity to male breeding plumage of either species, but there are some traits which might indicate that Rosybill might be involved:

Dark nail and a very, very slight pinkish tinge in the grey towards the base of the bill (Is this there? I see it in both photos but very very very faint).

flanks grey vermiculated like in rosybill.

tertials with a greenish gloss like in rosybill.

A greyish wingbar (Rosybill white, eider black)

However , I am not sure, as there are some odd features- therefore the question for the age and sex of the bird?
greetings,
Jörn Lehmhus

JohanvantBosch

CiteerHowever , I am not sure, as there are some odd features- therefore the question for the age and sex of the bird?
I would go for an immature male. I see similarities to first-winter or first-summer male eiders having a darkish plumage with the chest becoming whitish...

JohanvantBosch

Citeer
CiteerHowever , I am not sure, as there are some odd features- therefore the question for the age and sex of the bird?
I would go for an immature male. I see similarities to first-winter or first-summer male eiders having a darkish plumage with the chest becoming whitish...
Although - taking a second look - it might not really be whitish.....

Alcedo atthis

Jan , can you give any further information ? with which species this was together and with which species did it interact?  I think another possibility might be a hybrid wih an aythya, but i am not sure. this is really an odd bird.
greetings,
Jörn Lehmhus

Jan Harteman

Sorry I can't really give any more information as I don't know much more.
The bird was at one of the biggest collections in Europe, along with many more species. It was in a temporary enclosure, so it is not likely the bird was with its parents on the same pond.
The photos were taken in 2005 and I have not asked the breeder for more information at that moment...