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Re: Fw: [BIRDWG01] The thorny problem of GREEN-WINGED TEAL identification

From:

Maurice Barnhill

Reply-To:

Date:

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 20:54:28 -0500

I can add another possibility that really needs to be kept in mind. Back 
before Common Teal and Green-winged Teal were (temporarily) lumped, I 
saw at least one individual that had Green-winged Teal markings on one 
side and Common Teal markings on the other. Check both sides of 
candidate Commons!

On 3/2/2012 8:25 PM, Mark L Hoffman wrote:
> 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
>
> Professional Guiding from as little as £63 per day - name the species and
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-- 
Maurice Barnhill
Newark, DE

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