Your Questions

Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers

Hybrid duck? Q

I wondered if you could provide ID for what looks like some sort of hybrid duck? We saw about 20 of these handsome dabblers along the Llangollen Canal in north-east Wales in late July. It looks like there might be a bit of Mallard in there, maybe? Thank you in advance,

Matt Riley

A

Rather than being a hybrid, Matthew, your duck appears to be a female-type Mandarin Duck (obviously not as flamboyant and fancy as the more ‘ familiar’ male). Mandarin is an eastern Asian species, with a naturalised population in the UK, derived from ornamental duck collections. Key features of the female include the oddly-shaped grey head and small bill (grey with a pinkish base); the white eye-ring and eyestripe behind the eye; the more or less plain brown back; wings with a hint of iridescent green-blue feathering (including the ‘speculum’, just showing); the white spotted brown flanks and the longish, flat tail. There is only one similar-looking bird, which is the female-type Wood Duck (from North America), which is indeed very similar, but has a darker head, more white around the eye, finer flank spotting, a duller bill and plainer cheeks. But your bird is a Mandarin.

Mystery corvid Q

My parents filmed this bird in early August.

Is it a hybrid or a beaten-up youngster? Please can you help? Many thanks,

Simone Stanbrook-Byrne

A

From the screen grab of your parents’ video, your mystery corvid appears to be a juvenile Rook (the shape of the bill, and its hint of grey colouring are the main clues, as are the glossy blue plumage). It has a bit of a scruffy neck, which makes it almost look like a Jackdaw or a House Crow (or even a hybrid Hooded x Carrion Crow) in pattern, presumably through the moulting process.

Sanderlings? Q

We saw these birds yesterday (18 August) at Benacre Nature Reserve in Suffolk. We first thought them to be Little Stints but have since wondered if they may be Sanderlings. Please could you help?

Mary Wright and Helen Haywood

A

To cut to the chase, your two waders, Mary and Helen, are juvenile Dunlin. Dunlin because of their dumpy shape and longish slightly downcurved bills. And juveniles because of the pale fringed wing and mantle feathers (even forming a sort of pale ‘ V’ pattern on the back of the left hand bird), plus the variable black streaking on the flanks. This latter feature is a very useful thing to look for on ‘autumn’ waders, and is absent on the two species you mention, Sanderling and Little Stint. These two both have quite short, straight bills and the stint is absolutely tiny compared to a Sanderling or Dunlin.