ML320931991

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

the same yellow billed male of the pair that Letha S. first reported on 3/21/21, see her extensive notes on the identification. An aggressive domestic Mallard chased them in the water & then in flight, but the pair settled back to their preferred spot on the south side of the east lake. The accompanying smaller female has been reported here as a Mexican x Mottled hybrid and pictures are included of the two together. This male was smaller than the Mallards, larger than the accompanying female. Photos Letha Slagle 3/21/21 Notes: “ Details: Pair: The Male is considered Mexican and the female is considered Mexican x Mottled. Male: Features consistent with Mexican Duck: 1) Minimal dark spot at bill base; 2) Significant white edges around the blue panel, too broad white for Mottled; 3) Eye-line length similar to Mexican; 4) Heavy streaking on cheek with contrasting plain pink throat; 5) dark black crowns. The apparent coloration of the face on this bird varies with lighting. In direct very bright light, the face appears striated with buffy color like a Mottled Duck, which caused us to initially consider this as a MEDU x MODU hybrid. However, in good but indirect light, as documented on subsequent days, the face appears darker and striated, more like various reference photos of Mexican Ducks, including photos I have seen from Leukering, Mlodinow and Ebird. It looks like Mexican ducks I have seen in El Paso, including the cheeks. Today's pictures were in the very direct bright light, and cheeks appear darker in the photos from 3/23, and 3/24, which are the same birds. Our reviewer,John Berner, kindly sent these photos to two experts on this topic, Steve Mlodinow and Jack Bushong. We appreciate the effort they put into looking at the data and commenting. After some discussion, and after looking at more photos taken on subsequent days, the consensus is Mexican Duck for the male and Mexican x Mottled for the female. Jack's comments on the male: "As to the male, it's likely a pure MEDU. Hard to definitevely rule out any MODU influence but these new pictures (referring to the pics by several people on the 24th-26th) show broad white borders to the speculum (unlike the female....), a lack of any noticeable gape spot, and fine gray ticking on the face. The face is slightly paler and cleaner than expected for a MEDU ....However this paleness is probably still within the spectrum of natural variability for MEDU." Steve's comments on the bill: "The black at the gape is limited to the bill as far as I can tell, and does not actually involve the feathering. Mottled Ducks can have this pattern, or a spot of black feathering at the gape. Mexican Ducks can have a bit of black on the bill at the gape (not nearly as commonly as in Mottled Duck), as this bird does, and do sometimes have black feathering at the gape as well, though Mexican Ducks with black feathering at the gape have it as part of a thin line that extends down from the eyeline (different from the pattern in Mottled). " And later... "I'm fine with Mexican." Per our local reviewer, J. Berner, E Carpenter of the TBRC has concurred to accept these identifications regardless of whether the bird is tame or not, and I will add his comments when I receive them. Location southern shore, east side by water pipe 29.909885, -95.677315 If you chase this bird, be careful to find the same one as there are three similar pairs on the lake. (If you see significant green sheen you are probably on the wrong bird) This is the first accepted report of Mexican Duck for Harris County.”

Technical information

Model

NIKON D500

Lens

500.0 mm f/5.6

ISO

720

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/3200 sec

Dimensions

2560 pixels x 1707 pixels

Original file size

726.75 KB