Northern Shoveler x Garganey

Northern Shoveler x Garganey hybrid, Mai Po (Hong Kong), 16th March 2016 - copyright John Allcock

(photo ID: 2750)

This interesting bird was consorting with Northern Shovelers and a female Garganey.  Note how the vermiculated rear flanks seem to extend to beneath the tail, which may not be expected.  A quite similar pattern is shown on the Shoveler x Garganey hybrid illustrated on plate 35 of Sébastien Reeber's new Wildfowl book (Helm, 2015).  But the long hanging black-and-white scapulars are a sure sign of Garganey influence.  A faint hint of Garganey's pale supercilium also seems to be just visible in front of the eye.

Northern Shoveler x Garganey hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 2750 above), Mai Po (Hong Kong), 16th March 2016
- copyright John Allcock

(photo IDs: 2751-2752)

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Garganey Anas querquedula