Our good friend, birder and veterinarian, Dr. William Seleen found a remarkable and fascinating bird during our local Jamestown, New York Christmas Bird Count on December 14. Take a look at the photo below and see if you can find the duck that is out of place in this group on Chautauqua Lake.
Yep, the bird in the middle at the back is the one. Do you know the identity of the other waterfowl? Those are Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and this flock held approximately 75 individuals. Once I saw the photo of this individual I was able to identify it almost instantly.
Any more thoughts on it? I’ll give you a hint – all my years of watching waterfowl in my hometown of Stratford, Connecticut, especially around the Stratford Point area right on Long Island Sound, gave me a mindset of looking for and experience in identifying hybrid ducks. This male bird has an oddly shaped head, a thinner and smaller bill than the Common Goldeneye, no white spot on the face, aberrant white and brown markings with some black lines in the mix and a slightly smaller overall size, too.
Half of it certainly appears good for Common Goldeneye – the other half? Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus).
That close photo gives us the best look, and I feel confident in that as an identification. At this time there is still a good amount of open water across much of the Northeast. Inland ponds, lakes and waterways hold many species of waterfowl that may otherwise be further south or in the Atlantic, as certainly was the case during the frigid late autumn and winter of 2013-2014. Keep your eyes and your minds open because even when you think you are examining a standard group of a familiar species you can find a unique bird that shows you something you have never seen before.
The 2014 Jamestown Christmas Bird Count had a final tally 68 species on count day and 5 more added during count week, the three days on either side of the official date. Or maybe we should say 68.5 species with our friend here!
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
