Tufted Duck x scaup Hybrid at Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto

Probable Tufted Duck x scaup at Tommy Thompson Park among the Redheads and Greater Scaup. It had a dark back contrasting with white sides, and a peaked head with a short tuft on top at back of head. Tommy Thompson Park on 6 March 2016. Thanks to Bruce Mactavish of St. John's, Newfoundland, for commenting on the identity of this hybrid.

 

Probable Tufted x scaup hybrid at Tommy Thompson Park. Iain Fleming's post on Ontbirds about a Tufted Duck x scaup hybrid jogged my memory about seeing this strange "scaup" while preoccupied taking photos of the Eurasian Wigeon.

 

Despite blurry photo, head shape shows short tuft. Colour of the back is dark grey, darker than scaup but lighter than Tufted Duck. Another possible hybrid combination is Tufted x Ring-necked but the back would likely be black.

 
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