Duck id

[Scooter]

It's a hen scaup. I've determined this by the white patches of feathers around the plain bluish gray bill. Squared off tail and general diver duck appearance... I can tell by this pic that the bill does not have the colors to be a ringer hen. What color were the eyes???

[Scooter]

I gotta disagree with the bwt statements. Every blue wing I've ever seen has the blue on the top of the wings, not in the speculum. And it's not a scaup because it has the white eye ring. I don't think scaup have eye rings.

 

The mohawk and blue speculum makes me lean towards a hen wood duck. But they are pretty uncommon in AZ and it just doesn't have the right look.. My money would be on a hen ringneck with the blueish grey speculum. . Hard to tell without seeing the full beak though.

 

That's not an eye ring, it's the eyelids closed... That's at least a 95% hen scaup. It doesn't appear to have the prominent colors of a ringneck on the bill. On all ringers, theres a bluish gray part separated with a white (or very faded white) line from the darker almost black tip and generally a "fatter" bill than a scaup. Trust me, in Texas I have shot quite a few of both species and this one is for sure a hen scaup or "bluebill" as they are known back east.

 

I think when it comes to the smaller divers like Ringers and Scaup- LOTS of folks get the hens confused in the early season when the drakes aren't all pretty yet. The way we used to tell them apart was how readily they decoyed! If they dropped right in... Ringneck. If you could call them back around after a few misses... Ringneck. If they zoomed by at 400mph right over the water they were scaup. Heck, have you ever done a side-by-side of a redhead hen and a ringer hen??? That ain't always an easy answer either!

[trphyhntr]

ITT i realize i dont know chit about ducks.

[ThomC]

Did you kill it before the scaup season? If so then it is not a scaup.

[CouesWhitetail]

I agree with hen scaup....it's funny, that's what I thought it was at first glance, but I talked myself out of it....good thing I don't hunt ducks much! This has been a fun post!

[yotebuster]

Looks like a juvenile drake ringbill to me

[azgutpile]

I'm pretty sure it is a ring-neck... The way I'm seeing it there is a lite ring around the eye and another faded ring around the bill. Also the wing and body are shaped and colored like a hen ringer. The white patch behind the beak is a little larger or brighter than normal.

 

What type of water was he shot off of?

[Yuma Archer]

Juvenile Lesser scaup, hen

Could be a mix with a ring neck

[Scooter]

The other day I shot a beautiful full winter plumage Drake Ringer that was right alongside a hen Bufflehead. No other ducks around. That buffy hen went slummin' I guess... haha!

[Avid Hunter]

In my opinion, it is definitely not a scaup.I believe it is a hen ringneck. Looking at the secondaries, there is not defined black bar along the bottom of the secondaries. Even a juvenile scaup should have that bar of coloration as seen here: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckplum/lscaup.htm

 

Here is a ringneck's secondaries, which look the same as what was posted

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckplum/ringneck.htm

 

I can only be a hen ringer, or juvenile/eclipse drake by looking at the wing

[Scooter]

Compelling evidence Avid Hunter, and based solely off of the wing colorations I would tend to agree. But the bill is still looking wrong for a ringer. Hard to 100% nail this particular bird down. I do see what you're saying though.

[Scooter]

picture #11 shows what I mean by the bill coloration... Notice the light bluish gray towards the tip...

 

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/lesser-scaup#ad-image-10

 

 

 

And pic #7 of a ringer's bill. Fatter and reversed colors from the duck in question

 

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/ring-necked-duck#ad-image-6

[Avid Hunter]

To me it just looks like it is the white ring starting to form on the bill. Im still saying hen ringer. Thats the fun part about duck hunting in AZ, you never know what you're going to end up with each day

[mr.smith]

I'm going with ringer/scaup mix hen. They are so similar. I'm sure they occassionally get confused and cross pair.

[Arizona Griz]

Tough call for sure. I would have thought Ringed-necked duck for sure because they are much more common but the wing secondary feathers make it look like a Ring-necked duck but the bill and white cheek patch looks like a Lesser Scaup.