Mystery Christmas Bird

How do you follow a post like Rich’s Christmas Quetzal’s. I can’t.

So I thought I would lower the tone and move into Birdquiz mode. It’s wildfowl season, at least that’s what I will be looking at over Christmas into 2011. So here’s an example of the errr… something wildfowlish.

Here are photos of a  bird I have only seen once- and its one of the weirdest birds I have come across. Just not quite right!

It had 2 parents. Both of them were wildfowl species.  But they were different species. What were this bird’s parent species? (P.S. and Bufflehead wasn’t one of them!)

One to puzzle over while eating your bird this Christmas…

Hey- and I hope you have a really special Christmas 2010!



9 comments add yours

  1. “How do you follow a post like Rich’s Christmas Quetzal’s.”
    I was just thinking the same…

    I’m guessing Canvasback and Goosander

  2. I think I recognise this as one of the (in)famous Goosander x Eider hybrids.

  3. Something with a raised, pointy tail is in there, like a Hooded Merganser … how about Common Merganser x Ruddy Duck!

  4. Something with a raised, pointy tail is in there, like a Hooded Merganser … how about Common Merganser x Ruddy Duck!

  5. Hi all

    Thanks for the responses. Hope you enjoyed it. It does look weird.
    Its an Eider X Goosander (Common Merganser) F1 (first generation) hybrid.

    Have a great Christmas and New year

    Martin

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