(Gadwall x Eurasian Wigeon) x Northern Pintail trigen

possible (Gadwall x Eurasian Wigeon) x Northern Pintail trigen, Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK) , 11th Februay 2012 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0333)

This bird, with its yellow aviculturalist's ring, was at a site favoured by ducks (especially Wigeon, Gadwall and Pintail) that have been released for shooting.  Its appearance is quite similar to that of Gadwall x Wigeon hybrids and perhaps even more similar to that of Gadwall x Pintail hybrids, but not everything is quite as we would expect for either of those.  The possibility that it might be a trigen was first mooted by Joern and this idea has a lot of merit.  It may be no coincidence that a female Gadwall x Wigeon hybrid at the same site was paired to a drake Pintail - perhaps those were this bird's parents?

This bird's identity is not resolved.  The suggested ID may seem unlikely but in an area where large numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall and Pintail are released for shooting and several examples of Gadwall x Wigeon hybrids have been recorded, at least one paired to a Pintail, it is not as implausible as it might first seem.  Probably we need to see more examples of both Gadwall x Wigeon hybrids and Gadwall x Pintail hybrids in order to understand the variation within each of these, and maybe then we might be able to be a bit more definitive about this bird (or perhaps it will always remain a mystery).

possible (Gadwall x Eurasian Wigeon) x Northern Pintail trigen, Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK) , 11th Februay 2012 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0324-0332)

This is, presumably, the same bird:

possible (Gadwall x Eurasian Wigeon) x Northern Pintail trigen, Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK) , 20th January 2012 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo IDs: 2057-2060)

(See also: Gadwall x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid and Gadwall x Northern Pintail hybrid)

Gadwall Anas strepera

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope

Northern Pintail Anas acuta