Given the multiple recent reports (mine included) of "Common Teal" in Maryland I thought this thread from ID-Frontiers would be of some interest. Notable that this has been a big year for them in Newfoundland.
M. Hoffman
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Mactavish <>
Sender: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification <>
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:38:52
To: <>
Reply-To: Bruce Mactavish <>
Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] The thorny problem of GREEN-WINGED TEAL identification
In St. John’s, Newfoundland we annually have a dozen or two overwintering
teal more or less equally divided up between Common Teal and Green-winged
Teal. In an exceptional winter like 2010/2011 there were four times more
Common Teal (50+ individuals) than Green-winged Teal. Over all there far
more Common Teal occurring in eastern Newfoundland than observed elsewhere
in eastern North America. In my four + decades of birding in eastern
Newfoundland I’ve only once seen a male teal suspected of being a hybrid
Common X Green-winged Teal. It had a blurred, dulled out white vertical and
horizontal bar. The vertical bar was stronger than the horizontal bar but
neither bar was as crisp white as a purebred.
This being said I’ve seen drake Common Teal in St John’s area joining
bachelor flocks of dabbling ducks in late May that one would normally
presumed bred locally. Did they breed locally???
The teal in the photo could be a hybrid. The gray horizontal stripe is
faded compared to the vertical stripe. The white border on the green face
patch is suggestive of Common Teal but is actually within range of
Green-winged Teal.
Unlike the Alaskan vs Russian coast I think there are few chances for
Green-winged x Common Teal to be happening in the North Atlantic.
B. Mactavish
http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.com/2012/03/variability-in-north-amer
ican-green.html
From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lee G R Evans
Sent: March-02-12 8:02 PM
To:
Subject: [BIRDWG01] The thorny problem of GREEN-WINGED TEAL identification
Of late, I have been sent images of or have seen in the flesh a number of
'ropey' North American Green-winged Teals in Britain - that is, individual
drakes that just don't quite cut the mustard....
I saw one such individual today, a drake that has moved between sites this
winter - see my blog entry at
http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.com/2012/03/variability-in-north-amer
ican-green.html
This bird had perfect white vertical stripes but had a hint of a pale
horizontal stripe and some rimming/bordering on the green facial area,
perhaps indicative of an intergrade
Birds of this type are becoming the norm on this side of the Atlantic
lately, begging me to ask whether this is within the natural variation of
carolinensis or indicative that generations of European birds are
hybridising following the vagrancy of some pure North American individuals.
Reading David Sibley's excellent article, it seems that birds like this are
simply deemed 'hybrids' but frustratingly many such birds here are just
generally accepted and filed away as 'Green-winged Teals''. Has anyone a
view on this? Should I be more robust with records of this species and only
accept pristine examples or allow some leeway and only reject clear hybrids.
Any guidance on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club, Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and
Conservationist
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