Hybrid Goldeneye...

M. Paul Gery

M. Paul Gery

Active member
Here 'tis......

Shot in SF Bay area... A little close with the cripple shot, but I'm glad I didn't take his head off (which we do when they are frustrating us with the cripple chase).

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Don't you know that when you get a duck like that, you mount it in the field first!?!?

bwahahaha!!

my buddy shot it... and yes, it's going to be mounted.

Neat looking duck. Are you going to mount it yourself?

Tim
Click to expand...
 
Don't you know that when you get a duck like that, you mount it in the field first!?!?
Click to expand...


It is a drake....I should have known you'd say that. :)

Tim
 
I heard things were a little strange in SF bay area !J/K nice looking critter all the same

shermie
 
It's a Barrows and Common hybrid. Not the dot on the face like the common and not the crescent of the Barrows. The head looks to be both purple and green, although that can be decieving in a photo. The back and wing appears to be about in between the two.

Tim
 
just by looking at it, i would assume it's just a barrows with a green head. but i should say.. i have never seen either in person, nor do i know what i'm talking about :) ... just going by pics i've seen. i'm assuming they are pretty common hybrids? am i wrong in thinking that a barrow's can have a green head at some point in its life?


consider this example. like i said.. i'm just trying to learn.. not trying to say anyone is wrong. :)

http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_B/BarrowsGoldeneye2005-04-01-001.jpg
 
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and not pigment and as such the angle of the light can cause "green highlights" like you see in the photo that you posted....the base color of a Barrow's is pigment and is purple.

When I look at the bird shown I see the "green" of a common which is pigment and is there no matter the angle. Turn that head to any angle with the light and the green would still be there. The shape of the head is also intermediate between the two and the "spot" doesn't match either species.

Notice on your photo the obvious "spots" on the scapulars of the Barrows that aren't there on Paul's bird. Look at a pure Common and you'll see that the upper "line" on the bird in Paul's pictures is also different than in a common. Common's have sickle shaped white feathers that make up that line....these feather are short and rounded, definately not the "spots" of a Barrow's but also not the longer feathers of a Common.

Amount of white on the entire wing is different as well....a Common's wing is almost all white with a very narrow black line between the white of the speculum and the white of the forewing...in a Barrows the amount of white is greatly reduced on the forewing which gives a wider black line that seperates the two. The wing in the pciture isn't "extended" so this isn't viewable in the photos but given all of the other characteristics I'd bet its there...

Given that this is abut the 6th "hybrid" that I've seen over the years I'd say that they are not all that rare....

Steve
 
and that, my friend steve, is why i can't sit down and paint either from memory! thanks for the education. maybe one day i'll see one of those guys

jeff
 
I've only had commons in hand and can tell it's head is not shaped or colored like them. The wings are fairly close to those of a common. There is a lot more black on a barrows wing. The scapular feathers on a barrows also do not show as much white as the one paul shows.

Barrows wing
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Commons wing
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Or Steve can give a better explanation while I'm looking up pictures. :)
I wonder if the wings whistled like a common or a barrows?

Tim
 
the hybrids I've seen, and held, have been almost the same as a Commons.

Scapulars, head shape and "dot" are intermediate and "obvious" as soon as you see the bird in hand.

Head shape is also "intermediate" on those birds that I've seen.

Bills seem to be closer to Barrows than Commons and definately the location of the nostril, (nares), seems to be closer to a Barrows, (thats strictly "eyeball" as I've never measured the two and that cold be an illusion that doesn't prove out).

Paul's bird has more "green" in it than any of the others that I've seen.

Steve
 
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