Weltvogelpark Walsrode got 3 ducks that looks like this, and I cannot understand what they are?
When I asked on Facebook I got different suggestions but most said it could be some kind of hybrid.
What do you guys think? What are they?
Photo taken March 24 2019 so they should be fully feathered and not in eclipse.
(I saw similar birds in the same aviary in September 2018)
Definitely an interesting bird! What aviary was this in? I assume the sea duck one, near the raptors?
The eye distinctly reminds me of spectacled (or perhaps king) eider, but first winter/spring birds of that species shouldn't look like this... I think a hybrid with other Mergini would be possible - perhaps Spectacled/King eider X Velvet scoter or Spectacled/King eider X Long-tailed duck.
Size-wise, how did they compare to other ducks in the enclosure (if there were any)? I don't think I saw these on my visit in August last year.
Spectacled Eider x Velvet Scoter would be my best bet - I think the facial build would be a little daintier if King Eider or Long-tailed Duck were involved in the hybrid.
@Vision Actually no, they are in the aviary in the bottom left corner "inside" the Uhu-burg. They share it with storks, ibis and mostly mandarin ducks and other ducks (Cape teal, tufted duck(?), etc). I could see something that looked like a Baers pochard laying by himself as well.
But that is about it.
Size-wise I would say they were bigger than the rest of the ducks in the aviary, eider sized kinda.
Yesterday I checked Zootierliste to see if Walsrode even has any scoters and no scoter species are "registered" at the zoo what i could see. They might have behind the scenes tho? They at least had before: Velvet Scoter at Walsrode, 22/03/13 | ZooChat
Picture of the map, showing the aviary: aviary
And here is a bad picture showing 2 of the weird ducks: hybrids
Last year in September photographed this bird in the same aviary: 29693004757-c7e279dc97-o
At first glance, I thought it was a female eider (spectacled or something) but the colors of the feathers don't add up. My second thought was that its an eider male in eclipse feathers, but that doesn't add up either, it got a black beak?
@Daniel Sörensen It is possible that someone has jumped to the conclusion that the Velvet Scoters are no longer kept, as the most recent entry on ZTL (from June 2018) says they were signposted but not seen - but if these probable hybrids were already displayed elsewhere last year, it is possible they were moved into the aviary in which you saw them to prevent them breeding further with the seaducks.
As regards the bird you saw in September, it definitely looks a little interesting! I think you are correct that it is one of the same hybrid individuals, but in eclipse plumage.
