Tony Leukering

Always include when and where The only other real option is ruled out by the size comparison with the Snowy Egret.

Pied-billed Grebe -- which is not a duck, nor even closely related to ducks.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sibley-guide-to-birds-second-edition-david-allen-sibley/1117196899?ean=9780307957900#/

The eye is paler than that typically shown by juvenile Red-shouldered and the bird in question does not sport the typical strong barring on the secondaries of Red-shouldered.

Note the longish, pointed tail; white hip patch; and black back end -- which gets one to either American Wigeon or Eurasian Wigeon, then the white crown stripe rules out the latter. Chiloe Wigeon is fairly different.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow is streaked below. Immatures are not. Terminology is important.

Red on bills in hummers is restricted to a small number of US species.

And >25 years ago, that would have been a rare species in Lakewood. No longer.

It is neither an older female nor a juvenile, but an immature male, I believe. Just the mix of feather ages rules out a juvenile (by definition) and it is my understanding (though plumage progression in the species is complex and variable) that any Long-tailed Duck with pink on the bill is a male. Adult males would have bright, obvious pink in the winter, so this bird's strong suggestion of pink should be definitive for an immature male.

It is leucistic. Being "partially leucistic" is very much like being "partially pregnant." It is a genetic anomaly that is variably expressed.

Yes, Black-vented. Manx has white undertail coverts and is a cleaner, blacker bird. Pink-footed is considerably larger and has a pink bill.

Many (most?) gynandromorphs are bilateral, that is one side has female plumage, the other male. I'd guess that this bird is the result of one of two processes: either it is 1) erythristic (that is, the reddish color is abnormally extensive), which is a genetic anomaly or 2) it's an old female that has started taking on male plumage traits due to declining female-hormone levels. Male is the default sex in birds (opposite that of humans in which females are homozygous, that is, "XX" and female is the default sex because of it). In birds, female plumage is expressed mostly because female hormones over-ride male plumage expression. [The use of the terms "boy" and "girl" should be restricted to non-adult humans; likewise "baby."]

BTW -- I'd guess Double-cresteds, as most look like they have short tails, but I am not willing to ID them as such due to the odd angles to most birds. In many places in southern AZ, now, Neotrops outnumber DCs.

That is mularkey. Cormorants, particularly in my experience, perch regularly on wires. Also, and this was obviously overlooked by whatever ... person ... wrote this horrible piece of misinformation, because the species regularly nests in TREES! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/140096211#_ga=2.115685254.1474998662.1549593156-334541348.1399337695 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/139964621#_ga=2.145692724.1474998662.1549593156-334541348.1399337695 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/136642231#_ga=2.119459849.1474998662.1549593156-334541348.1399337695 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/132759331#_ga=2.119459849.1474998662.1549593156-334541348.1399337695

This is a 1st-cycle Herring Gull (not a juv, as it's replaced some juv plumage). The bill pattern is perfect for a late-winter first-cycle bird and, more telling, the outermost primaries are quite pointed; older outer primaries are wider and rounder-tipped. Additionally, a 2nd-cycle Herring would show at least some indication of adult color and pattern by Feb of its third calendar year. Ring-billed Gull is right out, as it would have little or no brown aspect to the plumage in its first winter. That age of Ringer also has a strongly bicolored bill -- black tip, pink base and has extensive gray on the back and wings. The field guides do treat these well and are to be trusted.