possible American Wigeon x Chiloe Wigeon hybrid, Paderborn (Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany), 4th November 2012 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo ID: 1654)
Or as Joern described it himself, unusual American Wigeon, probably with Chiloe Wigeon genes. Perhaps that's a better way of describing it as what this probably isn't is a first-generation hybrid offspring of a pairing between an American Wigeon and a Chiloe Wigeon. If we're right in thinking Chiloe Wigeon genes are present, you will probably have to go further back than one generation to find the Chiloe Wigeon ancestor. It looks too much like an American Wigeon.
Wrong for pure American Wigeon, I think, is the head pattern. On American Wigeon the pale cream stripe extends from the forehead back to the centre of the crown, further back than on this bird. It also lacks the warm orangey tones that seem to be present on this bird. Other than that the bird is very close to American Wigeon, although a further discrepancy I think I can detect in one or two of the photos is pale whitish edges to some of the long scapulars. That's a feature that could indeed point to Chiloe Wigeon influence.
possible American Wigeon x Chiloe Wigeon hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 1654 above), Paderborn (Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany), 4th November 2012 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo IDs: 1655-1658)
American Wigeon Anas americana
Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix
captive? Wood Duck x Aythya sp., Halle (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), 1st November 2014 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo ID: 1672)
Captive Wood Ducks seem to generate hybrids with a wide variety of duck species so hopefully it will only be a matter of time before we have a good enough understanding of the various Wood Duck x Aythya hybrids to be able to identify individuals like this more precisely.
captive? Wood Duck x Aythya sp. (with Wood Duck; same bird as in photo ID 1672 above), Halle (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), 1st November 2014 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo IDs: 1673-1674)
Wood Duck Aix sponsa
Pochard sp. Aythya sp.
captive Ringed Teal x Yellow-billed (Speckled) Teal hybrid, Halle (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), 1st November 2014 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo ID: 1667)
With Speckled Teal having recently been split into Yellow-billed Teal (flavirostris) and Andean Teal (andium) I wasn't 100% sure that Joern was referring to flavirostris when he identified this as Ringed Teal x Speckled Teal. I made that assumption despite the absence of yellow on the bill and Joern has now confirmed that that was indeed the case. There were flavirostris but not andium in the collection and the pale flanks are closer to Yellow-billed too.
captive
Ringed Teal x Yellow-billed (Speckled) Teal hybrid (with Ringed Teals, same bird as in photo ID 1667 above), Halle
(Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), 1st November 2014 - copyright Joern Lehmhus
(photo IDs: 1668-1671)
Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys
Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris
