ML631780256

Observation details

***very rare. Starting from the boat launch, it was viewed from the Redbird trail where the trail bends to the north after traveling northeast. Similar to Tufted Duck, but the back was a shade paler in good light than I'd like on pure TUDU, and close views revealed fine vermiculations. The tuft was short and bushy, whereas short-crested Tufted Ducks have wispy crests, i.e. fine single feathers emerge from the head rather than neatly shaped bulb as on this bird. The black on the bill was restricted to just the nail and rim at the tip- atypical although not an impossible bill pattern on pure TUDU. But given the back color and odd tuft shape, pure TUDU should be ruled out. The shape of the head was rather small in size, yet tall and slender in shape, as opposed to large, rounded, and deep as on GRSC x TUDU (e.g. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/616343152). The head looked like a Lesser Scaup head but with a medium crest. On an open wing, the white was restricted to the secondaries, and didn't bleed into the primaries as a TUDU x GRSC should. The wing was seen well in the scope while flapping after preening. Though Lesser Scaup would seem like a less likely parent geographically given overlap with TUDU breeding range, several apparent individuals of this taxon have been recorded in the US; approximately as many as TUDU x GRSC. Curiously, the bird mostly associated with Ring-necked Ducks, rather than scaup.