hybrid Eur / Am Wigeon?

[pointreyesbirder]

Seen this morning in NE SF Bay.  Is this a hybrid Eur / Am Wigeon?  The small green patch on the head is confusing.

Seen floating by shore of a small marsh with flock of American Wigeon.

Thanks for the help.

[Quiscalus quiscula]

I'm far from an expert on wigeons, but here are my thoughts:

The bird has a dark rufous head, like Eurasian. However, the white forehead is a more American characteristic. The pale gray flanks (Eurasian) with tinges of pinkish brown extending further on the flanks than Eurasian normally has also points to a hybrid. Of course, the greenish spot on the head is the most obvious mark that points to a hybrid. 

[Connor Cochrane]

Looks like a normal Eurasian Wigeon to me. They often show some green behind the eye. The flanks and forehead look lighter than they actually are because the image is overexposed. 

[blackburnian]

This is a normal Euro Wigeon. 

[AlexHenry]

I’d call this a Eurasian Wigeon. Many Eurasian Wigeons show a little green behind they eye.

The border between the pink breast and the gray flank is quite clean. There isn’t any pink mixed in the gray flanks, which a hybrid would be likely to show.

Also, hybrids tend to show more contrast between the dark stripe behind the eye and the paler cheek.

Honestly I don’t know whether the Eurasian Wigeons with a tiny bit of green around the eye are “pure” Eurasians, or whether they are Eurasians with a little bit of genetic introgression from American Wigeon. But given how frequent it is, it seems more likely that some “pure” Eurasians have some green around the eye. Even if there is some American genes in there, it is much closer to Eurasian than it is to a 50/50 hybrid.

Here’s an example of a bird I would identify as a hybrid. Note the much more intermediate appearance

 

 

[pointreyesbirder]

@AlexHenry - Very helpful, Alex and all.  Thanks.  Enjoy the holiday.