Eurasian Wigeon x Eurasian Teal

probable Eurasian Wigeon x Eurasian Teal, east Gotland (Sweden), 16th April 2015 - copyright Fredrik Ström

(photo ID: 2375)

Fredrik sent me these fine images earlier this year and they appear to be Wigeon x Teal hybrids.  Given their location I assume they are Eurasian Wigeon x Eurasian Teal, though the resemblance to Steve's American Wigeon x Green-winged Teal hybrid is quite striking.

The two images here show different birds that were together.

 probable Eurasian Wigeon x Eurasian Teal, east Gotland (Sweden), 16th April 2015 - copyright Fredrik Ström

(photo ID: 2376)

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid, Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK), 26th October 2014 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo ID: 2031)

This bird appeared on a lake that is frequented by many ducks released for shooting including lots of Gadwall, Wigeon and Pintail.  Several Gadwall x Wigeon hybrids have appeared here but while this is superficially similar there are a number of differences that point to Pintail parentage.  It lacks the brown edged scapulars but instead has a row of long curved pale-edged scapulars for example, and of course it has a distinctly long central tail.

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 2031 above), Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK), 26th October 2014 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo ID: 2030)

What was presumably the same bird reappeared after a period of absence the following April.  It kept company with Pintails and on one occasion attacked the male Pintail shown with it in the second photo below when that bird showed interest in an accompanying female.

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid (presumably same bird as in photo IDs 2030-2031 above, with Northern Pintail), Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK), 9th April 2015 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo IDs: 2377-2378)

Pintail influence wasn't immediately obvious to me in the next bird which, on first look, seemed very similar to a Wigeon except for the unusual head pattern.  I even started to wonder whether Eurasian Wigeon might show such an anomolous head pattern through mutation or intersex rather than through hybridisation.  But then the bird showed a bit better and I started to see more anomalies.  Firstly I noticed the tertials weren't dark with clear pale edges as on all 3 Wigeon species.  They didn't contast so much with the scapulars being grey with more diffuse narrower dark centres - and indeed that pattern on the scapulars was more marked than it is on Eurasian Wigeon.  Then I noticed white on the edges of the tail and a row of whitish grey feathers above the tail (I thought uppertail-coverts at first but they may have been the lower row of rump feathers).  It was all starting to look a bit Pintail-like.  Pintail influence wasn't obvious on the front half of the bird, but actually there were hints of it in the head pattern.  The pale forecrown stripe had a narrow diffuse dark line running through the middle of it which was very obvious when the bird was front-on and there was a suggestion of the base of the pale line extending up the side of a Pintail's neck on one side, only visible at certain angles.

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid (with Eurasian Wigeon),Great Ryburgh (Norfolk, UK), 6th March 2017 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 3124-3128)

This bird was still present a couple of days later though still a bit distant for photography.  I managed better views of the wing pattern which showed a mixture of Wigeon and Pintail influence.  It showed the white inner secondary of Wigeon and a hint of white on the forewing (just on the larger coverts), but it also showed a broad white trailing edge to the secondaries and gingery buff wing-bar at the base of the speculum like on Pintail.

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid (same bird as in photo IDs 3124-3128 above; with Eurasian Wigeon),Great Ryburgh (Norfolk, UK), 8th March 2017 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 3137-3143)

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Shoveler

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Shoveler, Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK) , 25th December 2012 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo ID: 2036)

Some of us wondered whether the Wigeon parent of this hybrid could have been Chiloe Wigeon but it seems that it fits Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Shoveler ok.  Joern Lehmhus commented as follows:

"The head pattern is typical for Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Shoveler.  I have seen this on 4 birds from the Netherlands (all in the wild but at least 2 probably escapes) and 4 captive birds from France said to have this parentage.  Here is a link to one of the Netherlands birds, feeding with eurasian Wigeon: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUVBBmx7zYU.

In general hybrids of this combination I have seen so far have at least a small pale area at the base of the bill.  In some birds it was considerably larger and along the side of the bill but sometimes the pale area is absent or extremly small, so that the bird appears to have an all black bill.  This one appears similar to [Andrew's] in that respect, for example: waarneming.nl/foto/view/622526."

Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Shoveler (same bird as in photo ID 2036 above; with Northern Shoveler), Leathes Ham, Lowestoft (Suffolk, UK) , 25th December 2012 - copyright Andrew Easton

(photo ID: 2037)

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 15th January 2015 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2028)

Vagrant American Wigeons turn up regularly among the Wigeon flocks in western Europe and hybrids between the two species appear from time to time.  A similar situation occurs in east Asia, while the mirror situation occurs with Eurasian Wigeon turning up among American flocks in east and west North America (especially in the Pacific north-west, I understand).

The first series of photos here show what is assumed to be the same bird returning each winter for at least 9 consecutive years.

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 21st December 2007 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2018)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 11th January 2008 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2019)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 14th January 2009 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2020)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 5th December 2009 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo IDs: 2021-2022)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 7th January 2010 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2023)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 6th December 2010 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2024)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 29h November 2012 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2025)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 18th December 2012 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2026)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 10th January 2014 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2027)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 15th January 2015 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2029)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Swallows Park, Clarkston, Asotin County (Washington, USA), 23rd November 2015 - copyright Keith Carlson

(photo ID: 2308)

Steve thinks the dark neck collar and chin may be atypical for this hybrid although it seems to be shown on both of the next birds.  There is quite a bit of variation in Eurasian Wigeon with respect to this feature so perhaps we should expect to see that variation come through in their hybrids?

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Olympia (Washington, USA), 23rd January 2011 - copyright Steve Mlodinow

(photo IDs: 2186-2187)

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Oak Harbor (Washington, USA), 19th December 2009 - copyright Steve Mlodinow

(photo IDs: 2219-2220)

Although this hybrid can occur on the eastern seaboard of North America, in Europe and in eastern Asia, here is another one from the west side of North America where it seems to be most frequently recorded.

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid (with American Wigeons), Kelowna (British Columbia, Canada), 2nd February 2015 - copyright Ian Walker

(photo ID: 2786)

The next bird was reported as either an American Wigeon or a hybrid but by the time I arrived some people thought it might even be just a weird Eurasian Wigeon.  I can't see that personally, but it does look good for a hybrid.  My only hesitation is over whether Eurasian Wigeon x Chiloe Wigeon can be ruled out.  I would expect a Chiloe hybrid to show more orange tones on the flanks where as this bird showed very American-like deep brownish pink tones - however this may be within range for Eurasian x Chiloe (see the photos we have of that hybrid here, one of which looks rather similar to this bird).  Indeed Joern has also picked up on the possibility of this bird being Eurasian x Chiloe, though he is also uncertain.  He points out the extent of dark on the crown which is not typical of Eurasian x American, though sometimes this hybrid may have some dark in the crown.  Some Eurasian Wigeon can have some dark in the crown too, so this is perhaps not necessarily proof of Chiloe Wigeon influence, but maybe it does point that way.  The fact that my photos aren't good doesn't help!  Worth noting that Wigeon hybrids appear to be fertile so Chiloe Wigeon hybrid backcrossed with Eurasian Wigeon should also be considered.

possible Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid (with Eurasian Wigeon), Cley (Norfolk, UK), 7th February 2015 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 1814-1817)

The next bird seems like a fairly clear-cut hybrid.  Len points out that the pale forehead mark is two-toned.  The base of the bill is faintly outlined in black.  This bird was associating with American Wigeons.

Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid, Gallinas (California, USA), 18th January 2015 - copyright Len Blumin

(photo IDs: 2922-2924)

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
American Wigeon Anas americana
Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid, Lahti (Finland), 1st June 2007 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo ID: 2490)

Henry says the green gloss on the head seemed to vary by light conditions - more so than is shown in his excellent photos.  He also notes that the secondary coverts were white as in Eurasian Wigeon, which he says is a common feature in Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrids he has seen.

 Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 2490 above; with Eurasian Wigeon), Lahti (Finland), 1st June 2007 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2491-2494)

Joern's plate below shows three examples giving just some of the variation in head pattern that is seen in this hybrid.

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrids - copyright Joern Lehmhus

(illus. ID: 0726)

Henry's bird above is closest to the bottom bird in Joern's illustration, though not quite as purely green-headed.  His next one though is more like Joern's top bird.  There are three sets of photos from winters 2008/09, 2007/08 and 2004/05, likely involving the same returning bird (though Henry says that in the most recent winter it showed a shorter tail and a little brown in the flanks).  Henry remarks that this bird behaved like a Wigeon.

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid, Helsinki (Finland), 13th March 2008 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2473-2478)

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid, Helsinki (Finland), 13th March 2008 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2462-2467)

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (with Mallards), Helsinki (Finland), 25th February 2005 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2468-2472)

Henry's brother Harry Lehto also photographed this bird (here) and notes almost non-stop Wigeon-like surface feeding and aggresiveness both towards and from drake Mallards.

The next bird was discovered by Mike Buckland and each time I've been along to have a look it's been quite easy to find among a flock of Eurasian Wigeon.

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (with Eurasian Wigeon), Stiffkey (Norfolk, UK), 27th November 2016 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 2848-2855)

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (with Eurasian Wigeon; same bird as in photo IDs 2848-2855 above), Stiffkey (Norfolk, UK), 18th December 2016 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 2856-2858)

Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (with Eurasian Wigeon; same bird as in photo IDs 2848-2858 above), Stiffkey (Norfolk, UK), 2nd January 2017 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 2859-2862)

Joern has written about Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrids in the German magazine Aves.  The text is in German but non-German speakers may still be interested as it's accompanied by a couple of photos of Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrids.  You can access the PDF of Aves 2 (2011) - the article starts on page 21 with section 3 on this hybrid beginning at page 22.  The photos labelled Abb. 6 and Abb. 7 are Eurasian Wigeon x Mallard hybrids.



Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos