Common Goldeneye x Smew

Common Goldeneye x Smew hybrid, Rauma (SW Finland), late April or early May 2017 - copyright Henry Lehto
(photo ID: 3221)

Here is a very smart hybrid showing clearly intermediate features of the two parent species, nicely captured (as always) by Henry.

Common Goldeneye x Smew hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 3221 above), Rauma (SW Finland), late April or early May 2017 - copyright Henry Lehto
(photo IDs: 3222-3225)

This one is a museum specimen and as is often the case with such specimens the bill and legs are painted, so not their real colouration.

 

mounted Common Goldeneye x Smew hybrid, shot on the river Oker near Braunschweig (Lower Saxony, Germany) in 1825 - copyright Joern Lehmhus 

(photo IDs: 0595-0596)

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Smew Mergellus albellus

Smew x Hooded Merganser

captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 15th October 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0499)

Although this hybrid has been recorded in a wild situation I'm not sure if it has definitely occurred as a result of a pairing between two wild birds.  Such a hybrid is feasible as either species may occur as a vagrants within the other species' normal range.  Both parent species are attractive and so popular with collectors, so hybrids originating in captivity occur more frequently.

The owner of the collection where these birds were photographed confirmed that they were acquired from another collection, hence their appearance despite no Smew having been present.  Two similar birds were present initially, subseqently reducing to one - I am not 100% sure if both birds appear in the photos below.

Initially both birds had grey flanks with virtually no hint of orange.  Over a number of year the flanks of the remaining bird became increasingly orange.

 captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 11th April 2009 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0488)

 captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 26th April 2009 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0489)

captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0490)

 captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 4th December 2010 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0491-0495)

captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 12th February 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0496)

 captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 15th October 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0497-0498)

captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 1st  December 2012 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0500)

captive Smew x Hooded Merganser hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 19th January 2013 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0501-0502)

Smew Mergellus albellus
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus