ML613532498

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

ID uncertain. Tiny dabbling duck, smaller than nearby Mallards, but larger than nearby Killdeer. Yellow/orange legs rules out Green-winged Teal. Facial markings are quite plain: there is an eyeline, but it is very faint; no eye arcs visible (both of these features would be prominent in BWTE); there is some white at the base of the bill, the amount of which changes based on the lighting conditions; overall color of the head is grey. Bill is black and and leaning toward shoveler-type proportions, but not sure if long enough to qualify as CITE. Body coloration is quite warm at the chest and belly, but I'm not sure if the patterning in the wing and body feathers is plain enough for CITE. I watched the bird through my scope for a few minutes and saw outstretched wings momentarily. I saw what looked to me to be iridescent green on the secondaries, with no trace of blue on the feathers in front of the secondaries (shoulder?)... but the lighting could have made all of these color distinctions completely subjective. EDIT: This will remain simply teal sp., as there is no consensus from multiple opinions. Photos from several individuals have been posted to several Facebook groups (one local, one national), and also shared with a pool of eBird reviewers. Suggestions have mostly been for first year drake BWTE, with far fewer suggestions of hen CITE, and one "definitive" vote for CITE x BWTE hybrid.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P900

ISO

220

Flash

Flash did not fire

Dimensions

1333 pixels x 999 pixels

Original file size

225.58 KB