Unusual Gadwall at Tommy Thompson Park

This male Gadwall with unusual head plumage was in the large flock of Redheads and Greater Scaup at Tommy Thompson Park on 6 March 2016. It has a white neck band that extends up and around the cheek and under the eye, and the top of the head and nape are contrastingly dark compared to the side of the face. Palmer (1976) notes that a few individuals have a complete or broken white collar on the lower neck.

 

A search of photos on the internet produced photos of Gadwall with a darker head and nape contrasting with paler face, and a few with a whitish neck band, but none had head markings as dramatic as in above photos. Tommy Thompson Park on 6 March 2016

 
 
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