Egyptian Goose x Ruddy Shelduck hybrid

Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca x Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea hybrid

This bird was initially reported as a hybrid but later by more experience birders as a pure Ruddy Shelduck, but in this case it was the original finder who was correct. The pink legs in a photo were a give-away but apart from that it did look quite a lot like a Ruddy Shelduck although different photos showed either a buffy-grey belly or buffy-grey mantle (but not both on the same image suggesting it might just be the light). When I saw the bird in the flesh I was surprised at how orange it looked - at some angles the sides and back looked a little buffish but on good side-on views it just looked orange like a Ruddy Shelduck. I started to wonder if I was imagining the structural and postural anomalies and whether it might indeed be a pure Ruddy Shelduck after all, with some kind of mutation giving it pink legs. But it was a hybrid - although the tone of the back and body varied according to the angle of the bird it did look consistently paler than would be expected on a pure Ruddy Shelduck. The head looked a lot like other Egyptian Goose x Ruddy Shelduck hybrids and that slightly Egyptian Goose-like gait was certainly there. When I studied the photos what I thought was a black collar in the field turned out to be more reddish than I'd realised, and was quite broad with a diffuse upper border further suggesting Egytpian Goose influence. Finally the white thighs might be significant - shown by some other Egyptian Goose x Ruddy Shelduck hybrids whereas I think they're always at least partly orange on pure Ruddy Shelduck.

Egyptian Goose x Ruddy Shelduck hybrid (with Egyptian Goose), Ringland (Norfolk, UK), 14th February 2017

This one was photographed looking into the sun, so the images aren't the best. What was presumably the same bird was reported nearby as a Ruddy Shelduck and indeed on a casual look that mistake would be understandable.

Egyptian Goose x Ruddy Shelduck hybrid (with Egyptian Geese), near Burnham Market (Norfolk, UK), 21st September 2016

For comparison, here are photos of the parent species.

Egyptian Goose, Sparham Pools (Norfolk, UK), 5th April 2008 and escaped Ruddy Shelduck, Beetley (Norfolk, UK), 2nd March 2014

For more photos of these species follow the links below: