Birding Brevard: Now Just What Is This Darned Duck?

By Dave Freeland

If you've followed this series on bird identification principles the last few issues, you'll know the duck in this photo is a puzzler. Thanks to Charlie Corbeil, an excellent photographer who works Viera Wetlands often, we were able to get Charlie to shoot this oddity at Viera a few weeks ago.

When I first noticed it, resting in the south end of the central lake just off the dike, my first thought was female Wood Duck because of the eyepatch. But remember the order of bird ID -- size first, then shape, then field marks. This bird is the same size as a neighboring female Blue-winged Teal and, most important, has an identical bill shape. A Wood Duck has a much smaller bill and is a larger bird overall.

We can also see in this photo that the duck has a white area at the base of the neck near where the chest begins. Very odd for either a Wood Duck OR a Blue-winged Teal (and not right for the exotic Mandarin Duck, another possibility because of the white eyepatch).

Further examination shows a lot of new, dark feathers on the back and dark coloration on the top of the head. This duck also had a light blue forewing when it raised its wings as if to fly, and its femoral area (just forward of the undertail coverts) was pure white. This combination of features made identification even tougher.

I sent Charlie's photo to three experts -- my old friend, Murray Gardler of Brooksville; Bruce Anderson of Archbold Biological Station and the Florida Ornithological Society; and Wayne Petersen of Massachusetts, a past vice president of the American Birding Association and, like Murray and me, one of the "Wellesley Boys" who grew up under the tutelage of birder and educator Doug Sands.

None of these experts could conclude for sure what the mystery bird was, though I am leaning toward an aberrant Blue-winged Teal because of the size and bill shape. It could be a hybrid, but none of my colleagues can put that tag on it for sure.

Size. Shape. Field marks. Next on the list of factors in good bird identification is habitat. This duck is on a pond with other Blue-winged Teal and a couple of American Coots. Ducks like ponds and marshes. On the day this duck was spotted, over 1000 Blue-winged Teal had settled in, a big increase from previous, recent visits to Viera.

Take note of where your mystery bird is lurking. Certain birds prefer ponds and marshes to open waters of the ocean. Woods can be deciduous in nature or piney. Some species prefer fields, scrub or grasslands. Others will accept visits to feeding stations more readily than their cousins. Some birds have specific food sources that attract them.

Be sure to note where you see your mystery bird and use that knowledge to help in its identification.

The final two installments in this series will cover habits and voice.

Where to Go: Consider the coastline of South Brevard County, near Sebastian Inlet, for a day trip that involves checking the ocean for ducks and other birds of the seas, Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area for ducks and wintering landbirds, Jungle Trail connecting Route A1A and Route 510 just south in Indian River County and Treasure Shores County Park for a good vantage point toward the Atlantic. This day trip could bring you 80-100 species in winter.

Bird of the Month: The Short-eared Owl that pleased early-morning visitors to Viera Wetlands gets the honors. It's not an easy bird to find in our area, but it's a real treat when one shows up.

Your Question: I have been trying to get some rails on my list and need some tips. Are they only seen in the pre-dawn hours?

A -- Not only pre-dawn hours, but since they are most active then it is always the best time to seek them. If you have a tape recorder with rail calls on it, you might try King Rail, Virginia Rail and Sora to see what answers. But do not play rail tapes during the heart of their breeding season so as not to disturb them.

Forward your birding question to me at freela148@aol.com. I'll answer as many as I can directly and will publish one each month in The Limpkin.