ML392369211

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

***Rare hybrid and unusual in the eastern United States. From a distance, this bird suggested either a Cinnamon Teal in eclipse plumage or a teal x Northern Shoveler hybrid. Traits that suggest Northern Shoveler include the green head, spatulate bill, and pale spot in front of the tail. Traits that suggest Cinnamon Teal include the rufescence throughout the breast and belly, as well as rusty tones on the pale spot in front of the tail and in the crescent [these two areas are pure white when Blue-winged Teal is a parent]. The crescent on the face and spotting on the breast are not traits possessed by either Cinnamon Teal or Northern Shoveler, but nonetheless these characters are consistent in this pairing. Less consistent is iris color, but typically x Cinnamon Teal is orange (as in this individual), and darker in x Blue-winged Teal. This bird was smaller in body size and had a shorter bill compared to nearby Northern Shovelers. I haven't been able to locate any other records east of the Mississippi River in North America. Van Bemmelen et al. list 12 European records, although only one of these (from Finland) is accepted by a records committee. In eBird, there are ~50 records in the western US and one from Jamaica. Regarding origin, this bird behaved like it was wild. It fed by dipping and filter-feeding with several Northern Shovelers, and freely flew and wheeled tightly with the other shovelers. It displayed multiple times with male shovelers by head bobbing. Neither leg was banded and both halluces were intact (see better photo of the right leg in this checklist- https://ebird.org/checklist/S98304764). The shoveler flock, with which this bird associated, divided its time among three ponds at the north end of the golf course, which are permissibly viewed from the golf cart roadways- 40.174843, -82.892135 40.171411, -82.892723 40.171394, -82.894544 Thanks to Jörn Lehmhus for feedback on the ID. Lit cited: van Bemmelen, RSA, J Lehmhus, and SG Mlodinow. 2018. Hybrid Northern Shoveler x Blue- winged Teal on Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands, in May 2014, and identification and WP occurrence. Dutch Birding 40: 71-81.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R5

Lens

RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM + EXTENDER RF1.4x

ISO

800

Focal length

700 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/10.0

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

2596 pixels x 1460 pixels

Original file size

3.43 MB