Chestnut Teal?, Timaru

[Oscar Thomas]

At Saltwater Creek this afternoon, eBird list is exact location. Slightly larger and bulkier than nearby Grey teal, dark chocolate brown plumage with green sheen on head.

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S112000162

[Oscar Thomas]

We are now wondering if this bird could be a Mallard x Grey teal hybrid, as it would explain the dull breast and white undertail. It was not present this afternoon. Very interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts on the ID.

[sjacques]

Hi Oscar,

Well done for finding this bird, he's an extraordinary looking chap whatever his provenance. The images are excellent, and I've pored over them a few times now, but still can't offer anything concrete. A few thoughts;

I can't see any obvious mallard influence in there; head and bill are too delicate for me, and I would expect some bolder marked flank feathers etc.

The white undertails don't tally with any dabbling duck that I know of.

The head pattern with bright green iridescent stripe towards the nape, and the dense dark-centred feathering on the breast are stunning, but neither quite right for Chestnut teal as you've noted.

He seems to have a mix of characters of A. gracilis and castanea, save for the lack of any chestnut colouration (even feather fringes), and those alien undertails.

I had a good shufti through the ebird galleries for chestnut teal, filtering thus;

https://media.ebird.org/catalog?sort=ra ... e,juvenile

Some birds in here that are a good match for the Grovetown and Travis individuals (and the Invercargill drake from Oct '18). Also multiple shots of a couple of birds by photographer JC that seem mis-labelled to me, and are possibly hybrids of chestnut teal with mallard/pacific black duck? The drop-downs for Grey teal and chestnut also have a range of hybrids as I'm sure you're aware,

Anyway, just some thoughts, and good luck to all those hunting ducks with binos and camera!
Cheers,
Sean.

[Oscar Thomas]

Greatly appreciate your comments Sean. It looks like that some eclipse plumage Mallard males show pale undertails. Here is an additional photo of the bird in question from my partner Ela, where you can see part of the wing plumage.
I'm beginning to wonder if Chestnut teals actually have much of an eclipse plumage? Unless people just don't photograph them it is really hard to find a photo of a male on eBird that isn't in breeding plumage. This was the best I could find but it could still be an immature: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/269676151

[Ian Southey]

Another curious duck. It would be the first male Chestnut Teal from New Zealand without a chestnut breast that I'm aware of but I'm sure that's possible. I presume those odd whitish under tail coverts will be replaced by something else when it moults. Ela's picture shows a teal wing with the broad anterior bar to the speculum but it appears to have a chestnut tinge where it should be a cleaner white in a Chestnut Teal. It also appears to have quite a thick neck but the angled bird in the picture might not give a clear indication of shape.

Nobody from the northern hemisphere is getting excited so I presume it will resolve itself into something relatively ordinary over time if it sticks around. If it does I'd like to see more pictures please to get a better idea of the shape and wing pattern in particular.

Ian

[Cardinal15]

Might it have some Falcated Duck in it?

[Wrybill]

If it was a mallard chestnut or mallard grey teal hybrid woudnt it have some form of speculum on the wing?

[Jake]

I'm surprised nobody (unless I scrolled past too quickly) mentioned the size. Wouldn't you expect it to be intermediate, or bigger (assuming a bit of hybrid vigor), for a Mallard hybrid? It appears, to me anyway, quite within a normal range for the teals, compared to its company. I never think of Mallards as particularly big, but they're HUGE in comparison to the teals