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?Mallard Hybrid

floraphile
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millipede

millipede

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11 hours ago, floraphile said:

ebird states Muscovy X Mallard rare for this location?

The eBird reviewers for your area determine/set what gets flagged and what doesn't...  Since this is a domestic bird AND potentially a hybrid, there's really just no need to report it as such... it's just not interesting for eBird data, in my opinion(speculation)  I mean, it just makes it another domestic duck... unless it was a wild mallard x muscovy, which we sure couldn't tell...
So... anything at all that isn't "normal" to report in that area is going to get flagged as "rare."  That will happen with numbers sometimes as well..
I would assume that the actual muscovy x mallard option would be restricted to wild mallard parent and, again, that's just not something we could tell from the picture. Your reviewer will probably tell you to label it something else, like muscovy, or domestic mallard. 

7 hours ago, Tony Leukering said:

What rules out juvenile Muscovy?

I'm by no means an expert on them but, I'd want to call it a hybrid(assumption/guess) based on the color pattern... dark breast/bib, gray sides, dark head... sort of looks mallard-ish... and I'd picture the neck a bit longer on a muscovy. The shape is just a bit off to me...  Again, I'm not an expert... but I have owned muscovies in the past and see them frequently at local parks... so, this is just my take on it. ?

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floraphile

floraphile

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20 minutes ago, millipede said:

The eBird reviewers for your area determine/set what gets flagged and what doesn't...  Since this is a domestic bird AND potentially a hybrid, there's really just no need to report it as such... it's just not interesting for eBird data, in my opinion(speculation)  I mean, it just makes it another domestic duck... unless it was a wild mallard x muscovy, which we sure couldn't tell...
So... anything at all that isn't "normal" to report in that area is going to get flagged as "rare."  That will happen with numbers sometimes as well..
I would assume that the actual muscovy x mallard option would be restricted to wild mallard parent and, again, that's just not something we could tell from the picture. Your reviewer will probably tell you to label it something else, like muscovy, or domestic mallard. 

I'm by no means an expert on them but, I'd want to call it a hybrid(assumption/guess) based on the color pattern... dark breast/bib, gray sides, dark head... sort of looks mallard-ish... and I'd picture the neck a bit longer on a muscovy. The shape is just a bit off to me...  Again, I'm not an expert... but I have owned muscovies in the past and see them frequently at local parks... so, this is just my take on it. ?

So should I just report it as "Domestic Mallard?"

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millipede

millipede

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30 minutes ago, floraphile said:

So should I just report it as "Domestic Mallard?"

ha... I don't know.  You could wait and see if Tony has another thought... even though I THINK it's part mallard, there's a lot of muscovy there and reporting it as a domestic muscovy wouldn't hurt anything.

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AlexHenry

AlexHenry

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I would say this looks mostly like a domestic Muscovy but I think the white border of the speculum, the paler sides with fine vermiculations, and the brownish on the sides of the breast seem to suggest some Mallard influence to me. But I usually don't pay too much attention to domestic-type waterfowl so I definitely may be wrong.

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floraphile

floraphile

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4 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said:

There's always the 'duck species' option.  Indeed, there's the option to not report it at all. eBird asks if you reported all the birds you could identify, not if you reported all the birds you saw.  

I usuallly answer "No" to that option, anyway.  ? 

 

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AlexHenry

AlexHenry

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23 hours ago, floraphile said:

I usuallly answer "No" to that option, anyway.  ? 

 

Noooo! Don't do that!!! Please answer "Yes"

List all the birds you are able to ID. Its okay if you don't ID every bird you see/hear. Your data is much more valuable to the eBird database if you answer "yes" to that question. Doesn't matter if there is stuff you couldn't ID, just list the stuff you were able to ID.

If you are doing a Traveling or Stationary count, your answer should be "Yes".

Edited by AlexHenry
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floraphile

floraphile

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Hi, Charile.  Yesterday, I completed the ebird tutorial on the Cornell site which explained the options better.  I was answering "No" previously b/c I erroneously thought one had to be able to postiively ID everything every bird seen on that outing.  Now I understand how to co a complete checklist and will answer "Yes", unles incidental birding.

 

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Charlie Spencer

Charlie Spencer

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2 hours ago, floraphile said:

I was answering "No" previously b/c I erroneously thought one had to be able to postiively ID everything every bird seen on that outing. 

I wondered if that was what you thought.  I'm glad you found the eBird course helpful.  I found it very informative myself, and review bits of it every couple of years.

Edited by Charlie Spencer
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insanityslave

insanityslave

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found this. quoting the aforementioned tutorial/ course

For every eBird checklist you’ll answer the simple question, “Are you reporting all species?” While simple, the answer is important. The “complete checklist” is one of the most powerful aspects of eBird, and we encourage you to submit complete checklists whenever possible.

If you answer “Yes,” it doesnot mean that you’re detecting every bird that was present at the place you were birding—that’s pretty much impossible! All it means is that you are reporting all species you were able to identify, by sight and sound, to the best of your ability. What the question really asks is: are you reporting everything you identified, or just reporting a “highlight reel” of some birds and intentionally omitting House Sparrows, Rock Pigeons, or other common species? As long as you aren’t intentionally leaving anything off the checklist, you’re submitting a complete checklist.

When you include all species and mark “Yes,” your checklist becomes much more powerful. By including every bird you detected, researchers can use your sightings to verify what birds are present at that time and place (the birds you reported) and which birds are not detected at that time and place (the species that are not on your complete checklist). This turns every list into a survey of every bird in the world: which species were detected on that checklist (e.g., 15 species), and which birds were not detected (e.g., 10,570 species).

When possible, always keep “complete checklists” when you eBird. Take your time. Scan both near and far and keep an ear out—you don’t have to see the bird to be able to count it. If you can positively identify a bird by sound, you can add it to your checklist. Keeping complete checklists are a great way to give your sightings of common birds new meaning, and you’ll be surprised at what you discover when you pay attention to every bird.

Edited by insanityslave
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