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Vermont eBird Checklist S157943762

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Main Details

Location Colchester Railroad Causeway
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Additional Details

People

Owner Avery Fish

Effort

Protocol:  Traveling
  • Observers:  1
  • Distance:  5.65 mi

Checklist Comments

Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.20.28

Totals

28
Species Observed
+2 other taxa, 4,434 individuals
1
Species with Photos
+1 other taxa

Observations

  1. Mallard

    Number observed:  16

  2. American Black Duck

    Number observed:  6

  3. Ring-necked Duck

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Single drake

  4. Greater Scaup

    Number observed:  273

    Details

    Quick counts/estimates of closer, smaller rafts and individuals.

  5. Lesser Scaup

    Number observed:  46

    Details

    Quick count of closer, smaller, rafts, and individuals.

  6. Tufted Duck x scaup sp. (hybrid)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Drake in a smaller raft of Scaup 2 miles out along the causeway. Solid dark back and head, solid white flanks, and a start of a tuft. On the walk back he was still in the same area, though the rafts had reformed into different sizes, and he was at the north end of a long line. Digiscopes.

    I landed on pure Tufted, despite the short tuft for a few reasons. First, apparently the length of the tuft has no correlation to age (mentioned here
    https://www.ducksg.org/wp-content/uploads/ONCFS_Age%20and_sex_guide_2017.pdf) and its length varies (mentioned here
    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Duck/id under photo 1, though extent of variation is not mentioned). This bird is clearly an adult, and it's possibly it is either growing out the feathers, or it is as long as it will get. That said, it is a common mark seen in hybrids.

    Disregarding the tuft, based on what I saw I believe that the bird is a pure Tufted, especially with the newer and better photos of what is most likely the same bird by Gary Reid (https://ebird.org/checklist/S158742976) and Larry Clairfield (https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S159911782). Looking through Macaulay photos and the example in Birds of the World of TUDU x Scaup sp, all the males have a gradient back pattern, like a Scaup. Therefore, I would argue the all black back would argue against Scaup influence, though on some birds in Macaulay the gradation is very slight, so that would need better photos to prove its presence. Acting from memory, I did not notice any gradiation, as the black back was obvious among the Scaup, which made me more suspicious of RNDU influence. That can be ruled out by the lack of gray flanks, a white spur, and bill markings.

    More on the flanks, both Scaup and TUDU have white flanks, and if anything Scaup have grayer flanks, especially towards the rear. In my observation of the bird, I looked specifically for anything out of the ordinary on the flanks and breast, as I was looking for indications of RNDU parentage. I am no expert, but I would argue that the bright white flanks would only argue against RNDU and more Scaup-like hybrids.

    Additionally, the flank pattern is more obviously “s” shaped and the black back extends farther down into the flanks. I have no knowledge of those marks as being used in identifying hybrids, but those are both things I have always noticed on TUDUs.

    EDIT: I posted this bird to the Advanced Bird ID Group on Facebook, and received feedback about the head shape and back color. The head shape of my bird is more peaked, and most similar to a Lesser Scaup, as opposed to the more rounded head shape of a classic Tufted. Additionally, there may be a slight gradient on the back, as seen in other photos of a similar bird in Addison county (possibly the same?) taken recently. The quality of my photos, and the overcast day, may be causing the back to appear darker than it is. Additionally, it may be impossible to spot any gray feathers in the flanks from a distance. Therefore, I now think this bird better fits the profile of a less obvious TUDU x scaup sp, as possible influence from other Althea species is not apparent.

    Media

  7. Greater/Lesser Scaup

    Number observed:  3930

    Details

    Estimates from large/distant groups. Smaller groups estimated by 10s, larger ones by 100s. (30, 500, 200, 2,800, 400) Seemed to be predominantly GRSC in the larger rafts to the north, with LESC sprinkled in. On the walk back, I noticed a huge distant line of Scaup that I hadn’t seen way out to the east, with a smaller group behind them.

  8. White-winged Scoter

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Picked up out of the huge raft of Scaup , flying east

  9. Bufflehead

    Number observed:  7

  10. Common Goldeneye

    Number observed:  109

  11. Red-breasted Merganser

    Number observed:  1

  12. Ring-billed Gull

    Number observed:  2

  13. American Herring Gull

    Number observed:  3

  14. Horned Grebe

    Number observed:  4

  15. Common Loon

    Number observed:  2

  16. Barred Owl

    Number observed:  1

    Media

  17. Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)

    Number observed:  1

  18. American Crow

    Number observed:  1

  19. Common Raven

    Number observed:  2

  20. Black-capped Chickadee

    Number observed:  6

  21. Tufted Titmouse

    Number observed:  2

  22. Golden-crowned Kinglet

    Number observed:  1

  23. White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)

    Number observed:  3

  24. Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Number observed:  1

  25. Brown Creeper

    Number observed:  1

  26. Carolina Wren

    Number observed:  1

  27. Purple Finch (Eastern)

    Number observed:  1

  28. American Goldfinch

    Number observed:  3

  29. Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)

    Number observed:  2

  30. Northern Cardinal

    Number observed:  6
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