>Last week while at the Ballard Locks (2/16) in Seattle I noted a small
>number of
>American widgeons (and a Eurasion as well) but what interested me was an
>unusual American widgeon. A description from Waterfowl guide describes
>the male distinctive, having whitish forehead and crown center, dark
>green band extending back from eye over sides of head with sides of head
>and neck greeyish white, intensely freckled with dark mottling. This bird
>cream forehead, dark green band and sides of head and neck was cream as
>well. There was no intense freckling with dark mottling on the cheek and
>side of the head and there was a bit of freckling towards the neck. It
>was a very striking pattern effect and this bird stands out in a crowd of
>widgeons. Is there a fair amount of variation in the intense freckling
>with dark mottling pattern or is this bird a hybrid from the South? I
>just joined tweeters so someone else may have mentioned this bird.
>Mary Peretz
>Seattle, Washington
>mperetz at fred.fhcrc.org

This variation is seen regularly in American wigeons, at a very low
frequency (lower even than the frequency of American x Eurasian hybrids, I
think). I have photos of one from Green Lake in March 1977, and I have
seen them on and off over the years. Obviously not the same bird, it may
be a rare recessive mutation. I don't think it indicates hybridization
with any other species. How many of these birds have been seen recently,
tweeters?

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416